Scream's Ghostface wreaked havoc on social, here's how
Paramount Pictures and QYOU Media have won the Integrated category at The Drum Awards for Social Media. Here is the award-winning case study.
Paramount aimed to generate mass awareness, engagement, and anticipation for "Scream VI" using a short-form video campaign on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube. QYOU was enlisted to create a compelling marketing strategy that would resonate with both new and existing fans of the 27-year-old franchise, with a focus on the Gen Z audience. The challenge was to maintain the essence of the film's themes without appearing "spoofy" while keeping the marketing ideas fresh and exciting.
Strategy:
1. Creators and Interactive Content:
Identified and partnered with Creators to produce interactive, bespoke content aligned with the film’s key themes, locations, and characters, including the infamous “Ghostface.”
Created unique and engaging content executions contributing to the overall campaign theme, "Ghostface Unleashed."
2. "Ghostface Unleashed" Creative:
Developed a central creative concept where Ghostface is "unleashed" on NYC, terrorizing unsuspecting Creators. This immersive approach kept audiences engaged and terrified.
Collaborated with creators to showcase Ghostface infiltrating their worlds, skillfully killing them off one by one, emphasizing Ghostface's ubiquity.
3. Original Series with Ocky:
Teamed up with “Ocky” (@rah_money1) to create a four-part series showcasing the Brooklyn Bodega legend’s encounter with Ghostface.
Ghostface infiltrated Ocky's “Red Hook Food” bodega, with strategic comments fostering intrigue among fans and culminating in Ocky's "demise."
4. Diverse Creators and Platforms:
Leveraged well-known creators on TikTok, including Karen Thi, Gabriel DeSanti, Ted Zhar, Recider, Eliana Ghen, and EllaDoesVFX.
Showcased Scream VI within individual brands, incorporating eerie Ghostface-themed content into their content styles.
Results:
"Ocky" Original Series:
Achieved 5.1M+ views (8.2M+ across all platforms), 618K+ engagements, and an ER of 12.04% on TikTok (Benchmark: 3-4%).
Demonstrated QYOU Studios' ability to produce and program elevated Creator content, maintaining engagement across Creator and Brand social channels.
Overall Campaign (16 Creators, 36 Posts):
Generated 17.5M+ views, 1.9M+ engagements, a 10.83% ER, and 145K+ clicks directly to the ticketing site.
Achieved an overall CTR of 2.48%, nearly 3x the platform benchmark of 0.87%.
Box Office Success:
"Scream VI" debuted at #1 at the Box Office, setting a franchise record with a $67M global box office debut in its opening weekend.
42% of the audience in the key 18-24 demographic, indicating the success of the content in building intrigue and engagement.
The campaign's success was attributed to original creative concepts, strategic use of key characters, talent, and themes from the franchise, and a careful curation of engaging content across diverse Creators and platforms.