10 Movies That Are Actually Good Besides The Marketing Gimmick
7. Releasing The Teaser Trailer Without A Title (Or Much Other Information) - Cloverfield
But no filmmaker does the "mystery box" quite like J.J. Abrams, who as producer of 2008's monster movie Cloverfield spearheaded a marketing campaign centered around what audiences don't know.
In July 2007, the iconic teaser trailer for the film was put in front of screenings of Transformers, confirming the existence of an unseen monster but, in a radical move, not even giving away the movie's title.
The teaser's release caused feverish buzz online, as fans speculated on whether it might be a live-action Voltron movie or a new Godzilla film, among other things.
The anticipation reached a fever pitch thanks to an extensive viral marketing campaign, including a complex alternate reality game (ARG), and a passionate fan community that entertained every last possible fan theory.
The kicker, of course, is that Cloverfield actually ended up living up to the astronomical levels of hype, delivering an uncommonly diverting riff on both the found footage and monster movie genres.
As much as Abrams is rightly pilloried for his deference towards mystery-infused marketing that the projects themselves often don't live up to, Cloverfield largely delivered the goods.