The Power of Memes in Film Promotion: The Rise of "Minions: Rise of Gru" and the Downfall of "Morbius"
Memes have become a universal part of pop culture, and their influence can be seen in virtually every aspect of society, including the film industry. In recent years, film studios have leveraged the power of memes to promote their films, leading to significant box office success in some cases and dismal failures in others.
Any “Minions: Rise of Gru” fans out there? The new Minions movie hit theatres last summer and quickly became a raging box office success. The Minions, first introduced in the "Despicable Me" franchise, have become beloved characters and their antics have inspired countless memes and fan art online. Illumination, the studio behind "Minions: Rise of Gru," recognized this and utilized memes to their advantage in promoting the film. In the lead-up to the film's release, Illumination flooded social media platforms with Minion memes, fan art, collaborations, and behind-the-scenes content, all of which generated buzz and excitement among fans. They also engaged with fans by reposting their memes on official Illumination accounts, further building anticipation for the film.
Speaking of user-generated content, perhaps you’ve heard of the viral “Gentleminions” trend that blew up on TikTok? Sydney teenager, Bill Hurst, started the trend during opening weekend of the film. His video caught the attention of the official Minions TikTok account, where it was reposted and subsequently gained 36 million views. The Gentleminions movement seems to have had a direct impact the film’s worldwide success. The film set box office records during opening weekend in the US and ranked #1 in Australia, beating out Elvis and Top Gun: Maverick.
Illumination invested a whopping $285 million in promo campaigns for the movie but there’s no question about whether that investment paid off. “Minions: Rise of Gru” earned a total of $939.4 million and ranked as the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2022. It was Illumination’s understanding of popular culture, along with the support of the viral Gentleminion trend, that allowed for this film to be extremely successful. Thank you, memes.
On the other hand, the film "Morbius" provides a cautionary tale of how memes can hurt a film's prospects. Any “Morbuis” fans in the house? … Nope, we didn’t think so.
Despite high hopes and a strong marketing campaign, "Morbius" was widely criticized for its lack of plot and character development, leading to criticism online and the creation of sarcastic memes calling Morbius an “absolute masterpiece.” Sony executives seriously misconstrued the meaning of these memes and interpreted them as renewed fandom. They decided to re-release the movie – big mistake. The opening weekend of the re-release brought in a meager $300,000. Negative memes contributed to the film's underperformance at the box office and led the movie to flop not once, but twice.
The impact of memes on a film's success cannot be overstated. It's clear that film studios need to be strategic in how they utilize them in their marketing campaigns and weary of how people use memes to build them up or tear them down. In the case of "Minions: Rise of Gru," memes were a powerful tool in promoting the film and driving ticket sales. In contrast, the negative memes surrounding "Morbius" ultimately led to its downfall. Memes act as a double-edged sword - they can help drive ticket sales and box office success, but they can also hurt a film's prospects if they are not handled properly.