6 Marketing Lessons from Longlegs’ Intense Campaign

June 2024 ushered in a unique marketing spectacle with the launch of Longlegs’ Campaign of Terror. The campaign caught the public’s eye right from the start when a mysterious full-page advertisement of cryptic symbols appeared in The Seattle Times, accompanied by a simple note attributing it to “LONGLEGS.” This clever use of intrigue became a defining feature of this campaign.

Shortly after, the cryptic symbols reappeared online, this time in comments left by a user named Mr_Downstairs on Letterboxd.

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Prior to the film’s release on July 12, mysterious billboards featured an enigmatic face, a phone number, and a date 458.666.4355. Notably, the box office yield exceeded $22 million during opening weekend. Not bad for an indie film! This feat underscores the campaign’s success.

Inspired by Longlegs’ Campaign of Terror’s success, we explored what made Neon’s approach both attention-capturing and replicable for diverse marketing endeavors.

Craft an Ongoing Engagement Experience

The Longlegs marketing strategy cleverly entwined viewers into the story, fostering active engagement. By sustaining suspense and piquing curiosity, it built a committed audience. For marketers, this campaign highlights the wisdom of designing a continual narrative for the audience, keeping them curious and invested over time.

—Carly CHILL-iams, director of media monetization

Fostering Community and Shared Experiences

The brilliance of the Longlegs campaign stems from fostering community intrigue through unanswered questions. Audiences were drawn into a mystery, becoming part of a collective experience. Providing interactive elements, like joining a community or finding hidden gems, even in mundane industries, creates a sense of belonging and shared purpose.

• Inspire audience-driven exploration with elements like hidden codes or engaging challenges.
• Create collective belonging through forums, communities, or naming your audience base.

—Curt del PRINCE of DARKNESS, senior marketing manager

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Sharing the excitement of these community interactions extends reach beyond traditional routes. It has marketers wondering: Could experiences that encourage sharing be the key to cutting through today’s noisy landscape?

—Meg PraterGEIST, managing editor, blogs

Cultivate an Atmosphere of Suspense

Contrasting with oversharing trailers, Longlegs reveled in sparsity, inviting intrigue. Codes, phone numbers, and a cleverly crafted alternate reality game engaged audiences deeply. This intrigue-driven approach empowered the audience’s imagination, leading them to fill the narrative gaps themselves.

—GHOUL-iet Bennett Rylah, senior writer, The Hustle

However, balancing expectations against reality remains crucial. Here are key takeaways for suspense-driven marketing:

• Leave space for imagination to thrive.
• Plant hints and new details gradually.
• Engage the senses through varied multimedia approaches.
• Maximize existing content by repurposing from your primary product.

—DYIN’ Zhong, senior marketing manager

Blend Analog and Digital Approaches

Horror marketing thrives when analog and digital strategies unite. The Longlegs campaign merges eerie billboards with interactive phone numbers, inviting participants into its world. For marketers, leveraging URLs and QR codes in harmony can boost brand immersion and engagement.

Additionally, the psychological impact of seeing real-world references, such as actors’ genuine reactions, enhanced the campaign’s authenticity and appeal.

—Ra-MOAN-a Sukhraj, principal marketing writer

Interactive Engagement and Imagination

Neon succeeded by drawing audiences across genre boundaries, capitalizing on imagination and interaction. The campaign drew parallels to other films like Smile 2, where real-world elements bridged fiction and reality, inciting organic sharing and dialogue.

Creative marketing ensures audiences become storytellers and marketers by teasing open their curiosity with provocative clues and activities.

—Tristen Tay-LORD of the UNDERWORLD, Service Blog editor and marketing manager

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Longlegs’ campaign communicates a powerful lesson in effective interaction: engaging audiences with meaningful actions enhances anticipation and elevates the unveiling of the final product.

—GORY Needle, senior marketing manager

Trusting Your Audience’s Intuition

Longlegs taught us the art of subtlety in marketing, relying on minimalist cues to evoke imagination. The objective is to engage viewers by trusting that their imaginative capacity can amplify the suspense. By seeing people as individuals rather than numbers, campaigns can form a genuine connection with the audience, often leading to remarkable results.

—Laura M. DROWNING

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