01Legacy fans
Recognition first, context second.
For viewers there for a familiar Batman. The copy opened on what they already knew, then said why it mattered in this film.
Ends at a showtime
← All work04 · Film · 2023
The Flash
A returning Batman, a larger-than-life spectacle, or a premium-format screening. Copy that connected each reason to watch with the ticket information.
1.6×
Presale conversion
against benchmark
against benchmark
Client
Warner Bros. Pictures
Role
Audience strategy and ad copy
Discipline
Audience-specific ads and IMAX copy
Year
2023
Sc. 04A · The briefSeveral reasons to buy one ticket
The idea
The Flash was not one movie to every audience
Some viewers wanted to see the returning Batman. Others wanted the spectacle or were choosing between standard, IMAX, and Dolby screenings. I wrote separate versions around those interests, each with a direct route to ticketing.
I gave each placement one reason to watch, rather than asking every ad to summarize the film. That kept the opening clear and left room for the practical details.
// Three invitations
Three audiences meant
three first lines
Fans of the returning Batman got recognition first and context second. People there for spectacle got copy that stepped aside for the footage. Premium-format buyers got a reason to pay more for a ticket. Each placement carried one invitation, and each ended in the same place: a showtime.
Sc. 04B · The workAudience segmentation · Premium formats · Presale ads
One film,
three ways in.
Four pieces of the release, from the legacy-character work to the display assets that carried the campaign through the pre-release window.
Three invitations
Who it was for · What it led with
02Spectacle
Step aside for the footage.
For viewers there for scale. The footage carried it, so the copy pointed at what to watch for and kept release information within reach.
Ends at a showtime
03Premium formats
A reason to pay more.
For viewers weighing IMAX or Dolby. The copy named the choice, showed what the format added, and kept the ticketing language plain.
Ends at a showtime
01Legacy characters
Giving recognition enough context
I wrote the returning-character copy with enough context for a casual viewer to understand the appeal. Longtime fans could recognize the character without every post becoming a franchise history lesson.
Spectacle worked differently. The footage carried the scale on its own, so the copy stepped back, pointed at what to watch for, and kept release information within reach.
What it delivered
+15%
higher ROI from legacy-character targeting among viewers 35 and older
02Premium formats
Helping someone choose a screening
IMAX and Dolby messaging had to help with a real decision: which screen, and whether it was worth the higher ticket price. I tied that copy to the images and moments that showed off the format, then kept the ticketing language plain.
Anyone weighing a premium screening could see the choice and where to make it.
What it delivered
+45%
higher click-through on premium-format creative than standard-screen ads
03Final trailer
Forty-eight hours
after the trailer
The final trailer opened a short window when interest peaked. Ads went live against it right away, each built on one of the three invitations, with the presale link in reach from the first line.
What it delivered
18%
trailer-to-ticket follow-through within 48 hours
04Pre-release window
Display at scale
I oversaw animated and short-video display ads during the four-week pre-release window. Each version led with a reason to watch and linked to a showtime.
What it delivered
400M+
ad impressions across the display assets I oversaw
From signal to ticket
Release patternTrailer
Separate the invitations
Match the opening to the viewer’s interest.
Presale
Make format useful
Give viewers a reason to choose a screen.
Opening weekend
Clear the path
Keep ticket information easy to reach.
Speed, at every size.
Stills from the campaign
Sc. 04C · By the numbersRelease window
What the audience did next
1.6×
Presale conversion
Trailer-to-presale conversion against the studio’s benchmark for comparable summer releases.
Higher click-through
45%
Premium-format creative against standard-screen ads
Lower acquisition cost
12%
Through audience-specific creative
Ticket follow-through
18%
Trailer to ticket within forty-eight hours
Sc. 04D · Inside the caseTrailer and stills
Watch
The Flash
Production credits
EngagementAudience strategy and ad copy
DisciplinesAudience targeting · Premium formats · Presale ads
CollaboratorsCampaign media and digital teams
Year2023
Next · Sc. 05 · Film · 2023
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Warner Bros. Pictures