This director is vindictive.

Chapter 489 The Art of Extortionate Marketing Never Goes Out of Style: Little Cannon's "Anti-Nezha" Open Strategy

As March arrived, the box office performance of "Ne Zha" was unmatched, proving Chen Mo's predictions to be spot on!

To many people today, the absurdly boasted box office of 10 billion yuan was actually just the beginning of this movie's success.

The box office of "Ne Zha" has now exceeded 150 billion yuan, topping the global animated film box office chart and ranking fourth in the world total box office.

The key point is that it is only 13 billion away from the third-place Titanic.

13 billion might be an unattainable figure for many films, but for "Ne Zha," which has already grossed over 15 billion, it really is just a matter of time.

In fact, as "Ne Zha" began to approach the top three highest-grossing films worldwide, it has long ceased to be just an ordinary movie; it has become a cultural symbol.

It's not just the movies; this IP has also spread to various industries, such as tourism, culture, and related products, all of which have sold like hotcakes.

You can even see "Nezha" elements just by stepping outside.

These actions are not solely the actions of investors associated with the film "Ne Zha". Rather, once an IP becomes a phenomenon, it transcends the boundaries of film and begins to radiate into all aspects of life.

Director Jiaozi can truly be called a god of cinema!
After all, so many directors have made so many movies in their lifetimes, yet their combined box office revenue is still less than a fraction of that of a single movie.

Of course, as the saying goes, things will turn around when they reach their extreme. As "Ne Zha" began to influence all aspects of life, it was naturally elevated to a divine status.

As for the domestic box office, it has been more than a month since its release, and the daily box office is certainly not going to maintain the previous momentum. As a result, many marketing accounts have started to take advantage of the film's popularity to hype it up.

What a shock! The myth of "Ne Zha" is shattered, with its daily box office falling short of this new film!

When I clicked on it, wow, you're comparing the daily box office of a newly released movie with "Ne Zha," which is already nearing the end of its run.

"The End of an Era? 'Ne Zha' Falls from its Throne, Audiences Collectively Switch to This One!"

The truth is, this is just clickbait, completely ignoring the overwhelming success of "Ne Zha" with a cumulative box office of 150 billion!
Other examples include: "Director breaks down in tears! The box office phenomenon of 'Ne Zha' collapses overnight, and the reason is..."

"The entire internet is in an uproar! This low-budget film has caused 'Ne Zha' to lose its daily top spot!"

"Official data exposes the truth! The hype surrounding 'Ne Zha' has been debunked, revealing a dismal box office performance!"

Anyway, all sorts of clickbait headlines started appearing. Although many people clicked on them and complained, feeling cheated, it has to be said that they did gain traffic.

However, March is not a particularly popular time for film releases; it's more of a continuation of the Spring Festival season, and no major productions choose to be released during this period.

With no holidays or special festivals, "Ne Zha" achieved a near-overwhelming box office success, and while it aroused envy and jealousy among its peers, it actually didn't significantly impact the interests of many people.

However, there are quite a few movies scheduled to be released in April, such as Feng Dagang's "Sunflower" and Chen Mo's new film "The Great Tang Desert".

As the box office phenomenon of "Ne Zha" continues to gain momentum, it can be said that almost all other films released in the same period have been overshadowed.

However, although "Ne Zha 2" has a huge box office, it has been released for more than a month, and its domestic box office is almost over.

At this stage, it's fair to say that all that's left is the hype; the daily box office figures aren't as impressive anymore.

You could say this was the film's strongest point, because it broke box office records and became a true social phenomenon. But you could also say it was its weakest point, because by then the film had already achieved its goal and had almost completely captured its box office potential.

This is why there are now many negative reviews such as "this movie doesn't deserve such box office success" and "Ne Zha 2 isn't that good." But neither Chen Mo nor Enlight Media cares about them anymore. As for public relations, they don't exist because they are no longer needed.

However, for the upcoming movie, "Ne Zha 2" is still generating an extremely high level of buzz.

If you want to stand out from the crowd and gain more attention and exposure, the best way is to "ride the wave"!
Chen Mo wasn't in a hurry. After all, "The Great Tang Dynasty" was a "co-created film," and with the huge success of "Ne Zha 2," he was also a beneficiary, so he naturally didn't need to do anything like trying to ride the coattails of the hype.

But the upcoming film "Sunflower" is different.

Although they had previously used the incident of Chen Mo and Zhao Liying refusing to act to generate some buzz, unfortunately, the effect did not meet expectations.

Instead, it only caused him a lot of trouble.

Inside the promotional meeting room for "Sunflower," Feng Dagang frowned and said, "The film is set to be released in April, but the pre-release promotion has not been very effective. Tell me, what are your plans?"

Feng Dagang has been in the industry for many years and was once a well-known champion of Lunar New Year films.

Back then, his name was synonymous with box office success, so when it came to publicity and hype, he was second to none.

As one of the most established directors in China, his works have been lukewarm in recent years, which is quite embarrassing for him. Some netizens even joked that he is not worthy of the title of a great director.

Therefore, he had high hopes for "Sunflower".

The market is bigger now, and so is the competition. Although "Sunflower" leans towards a plot-driven and art-house style, it doesn't mean that this type of film has no market. "Ahem, Director Feng, I think we really should change our publicity direction. We must find a different approach. What do you think?" the publicity director said.

"Try a different approach? Tell me more!" Feng Dagang remained noncommittal.

"Now, 'Ne Zha' can be said to be the only one standing out, with no competitors at all. Although its box office performance has begun to weaken, its influence and popularity are almost unshakable by any other film. Therefore, our conventional publicity plans are not very effective."

Recently, we have noticed that "Ne Zha" has become a box office sensation, but it has also started to attract a lot of negative voices. So, could we start from this aspect?

Since no movie can shake the dominance of "Ne Zha 2" in the short term, this movie is incredibly powerful, with a box office of over 15 billion yuan, and it's not even the end. It can be said that, head-on, no one can beat it. Since we can't beat it, why can't we join in? The publicity director is also an industry professional, so he has some skills.

"Join?" Feng Dagang asked in confusion.

“That’s right, we can definitely take a different approach and make ‘confronting Nezha’ the core of our marketing. When everyone is praising it, we go against the grain, and the attention and buzz will definitely rise immediately. Moreover, we must create a controversial topic. This kind of publicity method will require your cooperation, Director Feng, and it will attract some controversy,” the publicity director said.

“Controversy is not a problem. Controversy generates topics, and topics generate buzz. How do you need my cooperation?” Feng Dagang asked.

"We need Director Feng to speak out. After all, your status in the industry means that your personal statement will have a greater impact and a better effect," the publicity director said, while also smoothly offering a compliment.

“Okay, let’s do it this way!” Feng Dagang said, his eyes lighting up.

When it comes to firing cannons, he's never been afraid of anyone; his reputation as a "little cannon" is well-deserved.

It's my old profession, but I haven't fired a shot in recent years because I'm getting older.

The publicity department for "Sunflower" is working very quickly.

They released a series of striking black and white posters on their official Weibo and Douyin accounts. The posters featured no special effects or vibrant colors, only somber tones and close-ups of the actors' rough performances.

The accompanying text on the poster was even more provocative:
"When the whole country is praising the myth of 'Ne Zha 2,' how many people are still willing to look at real life?"

"When everyone is celebrating the myth, who remembers the soil beneath their feet?"

"Movies are not just about special effects and box office success; they also need the courage to confront reality!"

"No matter how popular 'Ne Zha 2' is, it can't illuminate the suffering of ordinary people!"

Meanwhile, the poster deliberately avoids color and special effects, highlighting realistic shots and the actors' simple performances, emphasizing that "movies should not just be entertainment, but should also confront reality."

These copywritings directly satirize the commercial success of "Ne Zha" while emphasizing the "realistic" value of "Sunflower".

The team also deliberately guided the discussion in the comments section, for example:

"No matter how high the box office of 'Ne Zha' is, can it change the plight of ordinary people?"

"Nowadays, audiences only like to watch action-packed movies; who cares about real social issues anymore?"

This marketing approach immediately sparked huge controversy.

It must be said that this wave of "anti-Nezha" marketing was indeed very effective.

The "anti-Nezha" marketing campaign for "Sunflower" instantly caused a public uproar, with supporters and opponents clashing online in a highly charged manner.

As mentioned earlier, the box office performance of "Ne Zha" was outrageous, and its influence was terrifying.

So, just like with "Wolf Warrior 2" back then, many people initially felt that this movie wasn't that good.

Therefore, the promotional method of "Sunflower" quickly sparked a lot of discussion.

Supporters argue: "No matter how great 'Ne Zha 2' is, it's still a commercial entertainment film. How can it compare to a movie like 'Sunflower,' which realistically reflects social issues?"

"Right now, theaters are only showing 'Ne Zha,' and art films aren't even getting a taste of the profits. Someone should stand up and wake up the market!"

"High box office returns do not equate to high artistic value. 'Sunflower' is the truly profound film!"

Opponents angrily retorted: "Laughable! They tried to piggyback on 'Ne Zha 2' because their own box office was terrible. How utterly low! 'Ne Zha 2' broke box office records and is the highest-grossing Chinese film in history. Why don't you mention that?"

"Ne Zha 2 reached the top through its own merits, while you rely on insulting your competitors to gain attention. Have you no shame?"

"What are you pretending to be so high and mighty for? Do you really think the audience likes to watch a show full of suffering and hatred? If you're so capable, then don't try to ride the coattails of others' popularity!"

The argument escalated, and under the deliberate guidance of their teams, it even turned into a war of words over whether Chinese films should be entertaining or profound.

Meanwhile, the team behind "Sunflower" was secretly delighted behind the controversy—the buzz and popularity were just what they were looking for.
(End of this chapter)