How Timothée Chalamet and Marty Supreme Won the Marketing Game

At the SAG Awards in February, Timothée Chalamet claimed his award for Best Male Actor and asserted to the viewers that he wished to be “one of the greats.” This declare of ambition was decried and admired in equal components by the web’s horde of critics, and finally dissected: What does it actually take to affix Hollywood’s corridor of giants?

The SAG win actually appeared like a step in the proper route – Chalamet, 29, turned the youngest to be acknowledged as Best Actor by the Screen Actors Guild, dethroning Nicholas Cage for his 1995 win at age 32. His need to be one in every of the greats turned the nexus of his subsequent film’s marketing campaign – buzz round Marty Supreme, in addition to the lofty advertising and marketing strikes that herald its upcoming premiere, is in every single place.

Initially confirmed as Josh Safdie’s eighth characteristic movie in the summer season of 2024, the director and Chalamet had been in talks round the function since 2018. Marty Supreme is a sports-comedy drama that loosely paperwork the lifetime of American desk tennis champion Marty Reisman, who Chalamet embodies by way of his fictional likeness, Marty Mauser. It has generated Oscars buzz virtually since its announcement, however speak round the movie till latest months had in any other case been considerably tight-lipped; all we knew was that the movie was sure to be… nice.

Safdie, Chalamet, and quite a few different solid members shocked audiences with appearances at the 63rd New York Film Festival’s annual shock screening, which turned out to be the movie’s world premiere. Soon, it had a standing ovation and on-line buzz beneath its belt. Marty Supreme would quickly be in every single place, all of sudden, and Chalamet has completed one thing stunning for a star of his caliber: Through months and throughout mediums, he has seen the marketing campaign by way of.

Last month, Chalamet appeared to leak a recorded Zoom name along with his advertising and marketing crew on his social media. After flippantly greeting every of the professionals with a distracted nod or apathetic “dope,” the crew appears to indulge Chalamet’s more and more self-serious – and undeniably absurd – concepts, from releasing a fleet of blimps to rain ping-pong balls down on witnesses to portray the Statue of Liberty orange. I’d contemplate it efficiency artwork; Chalamet leaned into his critics’ skepticism by way of the act of parody, enjoying the a part of the disillusioned fledgling star that they pinned to him from the second he expressed his aspiration.

Ultimately, we did get the blimp. Beverley Hills was blessed with an electrical orange behemoth in the sky on December 8, forward of the movie’s premiere in Los Angeles – no ping pong balls included. The iconic shade, which Chalamet likened in the Zoom name to the attribute pink of the 2023 Barbie movie, continues to manifest throughout the movie’s promotion: From the spherical orange heads of the helmetted figures who’ve accompanied him to the movie’s 30-minute guerilla teaser in Times Square and in enigmatic hype reels co-directed by Aidan Zamiri to the matching Chrome Hearts units he wore with girlfriend Kylie Jenner to the LA screening, the shade and movie have grow to be efficiently ubiquitous, largely attributable to his championing.

Speaking of pop-ups, we actually can’t discuss the marketing campaign with out addressing the coats. You’ve absolutely seen the windbreakers on-line – nineties-esque shade blocking, provided in a number of colours, the phrases “Marty Supreme” and a number of stars emblazoned throughout the chest.

We can’t discuss the marketing campaign with out speaking about the coats. You can’t go 5 seconds of scrolling with out seeing one in every of the windbreakers. The coats have been produced by the way of life model Nahmias, and teased first in images each by the solid and figures like Hailey Bieber, Tom Brady, Misty Copeland, Bill Nye and Kid Cudi. The convergence of athletes and celebrities of varied fields rocking the merch appears to pose a pantheon of kinds. Brand founder and designer Doni Nahmias informed GQ that the flicks have been a part of a “rollout plan of having all these people that we considered represented greatness.” The look thus turns into one related to ambition and success, in addition to simple road fashion.

A shock pop-up in SoHo on Nov. 20, as posted about lower than a day prematurely on Chalamet’s story, was the first alternative for fans to seize the merchandise. Then, west-coasters had the probability to get their fingers on the merch at a subsequent LA occasion on Dec. 8. Most not too long ago, Chalamet took to London for a Boxing Day pop-up. Present alongside different film-customized objects like polo shirts and socks, every jacket goes for round $250. Now, they’re being resold for hundreds. The movie has grow to be grounds for clickbait discourse and vogue commentary alike, all earlier than it hits screens internationally.

Although clearly ideated by an in depth crew of creatives – despite what the Zoom assembly would possibly indicate – the movie’s in depth promotional marketing campaign takes on greatness as a motif, discovering its footing in Chalamet’s bold declare from months in the past. The arterial vein of Marty Supreme as a narrative appears to be Mauser’s underdog journey to grow to be a desk tennis legend, and the main man portraying him might need extra in frequent along with his character than first meets the eye.

Eleanor Jacobs is PAPER’s 2025 Fall Intern

Images by way of Getty

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