Overview
For the limited theatrical release of Bugonia, Focus Features needed a campaign that could make a smaller release feel much bigger.
So instead of simply advertising the film, we brought its paranoia, conspiracy and uncertainty into the real world. A polished OOH campaign for fictional pharmaceutical company Auxolith was seemingly vandalised overnight by the Human Resistance, turning familiar media into part of the story.
Insight
Film fans don’t need explanations handed to them on a platter. Unravelling the story is half the fun.
Bugonia gave us the perfect opportunity to tap into that behaviour. If the film constantly asks what is real and who to believe, the campaign should do the same.
Strategy
We built the campaign around curiosity.
Auxolith was made to feel credible first, with its own corporate identity and online presence. Then we disrupted that reality, using OOH as the entry point into a wider conspiracy spanning social, digital and fan communities.
Each touchpoint gave audiences another clue, another reason to question what they were seeing, and another route back to cinema showtimes.
Idea
Make the conspiracy real.
We let the world of Bugonia escape the screen, turning a corporate billboard into apparent evidence of a much bigger threat.
Execution
Across New York and Los Angeles, Emma Stone appeared as the CEO of Auxolith.
Then, overnight, the billboards were covered in warnings and calls to “Join the Human Resistance”.
From there, the story spread through fake profiles, conspiracy sites, social content and press, giving fans something to uncover, debate and play along with.
The billboard did not just promote Bugonia. It became the way in.
WHEN THE WORLD OF BUGONIA MAKES YOU QUESTION REALITY, the marketing has to match.
