POOLMAN
BACKGROUND///
Poolman, which marks Chris Pine’s directorial debut and hit theaters May 10, had a limited marketing budget and took a bold departure from conventional strategies to create what Vertical has deemed their most successful social media campaign for a film to date. The sustained momentum of the campaign, driven purely by organic expansion, saw viral growth despite negligable investment in paid media before launch. In just 30 days, the social content amassed over 2 million unique impressions, grew its follower count by over 3,000% and saw a traffic surge of 1,112% from Instagram alone. The spots showcase Pine in character as the film’s protagonist, Darren Barrenman. a poolman and native Angeleno who spends his days looking after the pool of his apartment block and fighting to make his hometown a better place to live.
Leading up to the premiere, the grassroots social campaign kicked off with an intentionally low-budget local TV commercial for Darren’s pool company, Awesome Aquatics. In the ad, we humorously introduced Darren Barrenman to the world, complete with a local number for viewers to call and leave voicemails. Expanding on his character, we showcased his passion for civic activism through a quirky political campaign for LA City Council. Then, as we approached the release date, we created an AI-generated stunt to spark user generated content and enlist fans that encouraged them to create plus share their own zany visuals for a chance to win exclusive Poolman merch and premiere tickets. The storytelling also drove authentic, integrated partnerships with @Laexplained, @InfatuationLA, @thedodo, and more. Finally, the campaign reached its peak when Pine made a “surprise” appearance at his own premiere in character, as Darren!
Watch all the fun below!
