It’s not the plane, its the pilot.

Working on Top Gun: Maverick's release on Paramount+ was a thrilling mix of anticipation and strategic planning. As the most significant movie of 2022, there was both excitement and a challenge to combat any potential "Tom Cruise fatigue." Our approach was threefold:

Home for the Holidays: Capitalizing on the festive season, we curated holiday-themed assets to create a cozy, family-friendly atmosphere. The goal was to encourage streaming nights during the holidays, making Top Gun a go-to choice for families.
Roll Call: We harnessed the full power of Paramount Global on social media, creating cross-brand promotional opportunities. This strategy aimed to maximize engagement and visibility, leveraging the collective power of Paramount's extensive network.
Something for Everyone: Recognizing the need for diversity in our approach, we showcased gravity-defying stunts to appease action enthusiasts. Simultaneously, we introduced "cast fancams" to reach broader audiences, ensuring that Top Gun had something appealing for everyone.

Navigating the challenges and seizing the opportunities, our strategy aimed not only to maintain but elevate the hype surrounding Top Gun: Maverick's release, ensuring it soared beyond expectations.

If the pilots wore tacky sweaters during the holidays, what would they look like? This Instagram carousel we created gives a little insight.

To encourage at home streaming and family movie nights, we created this Instagram carousel featuring themed snacks, drinks, and trivia about the movie.

Results and Learnings

The Top Gun campaign soared to unprecedented heights, achieving remarkable success across various metrics:

Creative Prowess: We created a staggering 85 assets for the campaign, a 3x increase compared to our usual production volume. This expansive creative arsenal allowed us to diversify our content and engage audiences on multiple levels.
Approval Triumph: Of the 85 assets crafted, 53 received approval from both legal and the iconic Tom Cruise. This not only highlighted the quality of our content but also showcased our adeptness in navigating the complexities of approvals for a high-profile project.
Impressive Engagement Metrics: The campaign garnered a whopping 13,675,431 total impressions and 404,351 engagements, boasting an outstanding average engagement rate of 4.35%. This remarkable figure, 1.20% higher than other movie campaigns, underscored the resonance of our content with the audience.
Strategic Platform Utilization: Leveraging the power of X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, we strategically placed our content where the audience engagement was most vibrant. Simultaneously, our TikTok content, featuring fancam edits of the new cast, tapped into trending audio and video formats, ensuring we stayed at the forefront of digital trends.
Community Activation Stunt: To eventize the launch day, we initiated an X (formally Twitter) stunt where followers provided three words to describe themselves, receiving unique aviator call signs in return. This interactive approach resulted in thousands of fan interactions, driving awareness and hype around the film.
Holiday Magic on YouTube: Embracing the festive spirit, our YouTube video, a 3-hour long yule-log style loop of the iconic beach scene, became a sensation. This unique approach not only resonated with the audience but also garnered press coverage in publications such as People, Entertainment Weekly, Men's Health, Collider, Screen Rant, Daily Mail, NY Post and a mention on the TODAY Show.
Influencers Amplify the Message: Collaborating with 7 influencers who shared their personalized Top Gun call signs proved to be a strategic move. Their posts not only added authenticity but significantly contributed to spreading the movie buzz across TikTok and Instagram.

In essence, the Top Gun campaign not only met but exceeded expectations, solidifying its place as a blockbuster success in the realm of digital marketing and audience engagement.