10 Creative Ways Movies Got You To See Them

The Simpsons Movie could have been released with no advertising, no publicity, no marketing campaign, nothing, and it would still have made bank like Baby Face Nelson. With perhaps the most recognisable entertainment brand in the world, Matt Groening’s yellow US every-family didn’t need any help to get people into their first onscreen adventure, but a crafty, well-considered and just downright fun marketing campaign certainly didn’t hurt.

The film enjoyed all the conventional adverts, posters, trailers and merchandise, but in the weeks running up to the movie's release, Fox partnered with 7-Eleven for a major co-branding opportunity. 11 of the chain’s shops were transformed into Kwik-E-Marts, the popular convenience store from the TV series, complete with wrapping and signage, products, packaging, character cutouts and accompanying events such as Slurpee-drinking contests. The marketing made a big impact on customers, with fans coming from all over and queueing around the block just for a look inside.

Considering it’s not quite as good as many episodes of the show, the movie still managed to take a mega box office ($537 million) and garnered strong reviews and ratings, with audiences continuing to plough money into it on home media and streaming. And while it will only have been a modest contribution, this kind of large-scale stunt helped keep The Simpsons on everybody’s mind.