"Remember when "Wuthering Heights" first screened and all those glowing early reactions flooded social media-with even one "critic" calling it a "God-tier classic"? It turns out that was a carefully calibrated mirage concocted by Warner Bros. A report claims that "Wuthering Heights" had "one of the biggest global marketing juggernauts the world has ever seen." Hyperbole? Maybe. But what do you make of the claim that "almost 2,000 social media influencers were paid by Warners to post nice things about the film"?"
""Nothing says fearless creativity quite like the words "Immersive Experiential Marketing Activation." A 2023 Guardian piece titled " Who needs film critics when studios can be sure influencers will praise their films? " is still well worth a read, having raised the alarm over the growing presence of "influencers" at advance screenings and how this trend could spell the demise of film criticism.""
Wuthering Heights opened to a $37.5M US weekend despite very mixed reviews. Warner Bros. allegedly orchestrated glowing early reactions through a massive paid-influencer campaign, reportedly engaging almost 2,000 social media influencers to post favorable content. The studio mounted what was called one of the biggest global marketing juggernauts, using immersive experiential activations and influencer-filled advance screenings that limited critic access. The studio previously used similar tactics with Barbie and other recent titles, hiring influencers, "quote whores," and unknown personalities to amplify praise. The influencer-first marketing approach is expected to be replicated, raising concerns about the future of film criticism.
Read at World of Reel
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