Chapter 344: Finding Another Way

Chapter 344: Chapter 344: Finding Another Way

Irene had pulled an all-nighter just last night, filming until five in the morning, and had gotten back up after less than two hours of sleep.

Today’s shoot wasn’t scheduled to start until the afternoon, but not knowing how long the meeting would run, she had handed over some work to the assistant director beforehand to avoid any delays.

At the moment, her eyes still showed deep fatigue, with very prominent dark circles. Appearing on camera in her pajamas and looking disheveled, she made everyone else look exceptionally polished.

Chen Shiyu and Robert Smith were both dressed in sharp suits, with shiny tie clips even clipped to their ties.

Although James Wan and Leigh Whannell had also cleaned themselves up carefully, they still looked a bit stiff. After all, this was their first film to hit mainstream North American theaters, and the success of the marketing campaign would directly determine the movie’s fate, leaving them somewhat anxious.

Daniel David stood silently in the corner, his expression somewhat sour, but he could only listen quietly.

"Let’s start with my thoughts," Robert spoke first, projecting Daniel’s proposal onto the big screen.

"This traditional marketing model has zero competitiveness for B-movies. Our target audience consists of hardcore horror fans and puzzle enthusiasts. They’ve seen too many clichés. Only by getting them to actively participate can we truly ignite their passion for spreading the word."

As soon as he finished speaking, Irene took over, pulling out a handwritten note from her bag. "I completely agree. I have a few ideas here that you all can listen to.

First, we can learn from the viral marketing approach of The Blair Witch Project, but we need to avoid its shortcomings.

First, Facebook is a key battleground. We need to create an official group for Saw. In the early stages, we shouldn’t directly reveal its identity as a movie. We should only post some vague, suspenseful clues—like a photo of a scratched metal door or an audio recording mixed with static—to attract curious users to join."

She took a sip of water from the cup beside her and continued, "Second, build a dedicated puzzle website. This site shouldn’t be a simple display of trailers and cast lists. It needs to be made into an immersive ’Jigsaw Escape Room’. Once visitors enter, they will receive an anonymous email prompting them: ’If you want to know the truth, you must pass three trials.’

The first puzzle can be linked to props in the movie. For example, by cracking a combination lock pattern, they can obtain a mysterious monologue from ’Jigsaw’;

The second puzzle will guide users to find hidden clues in the Facebook group, encouraging user interaction and collaboration;

The third puzzle will need to combine real-world scenarios, such as having users find bookmarks printed with puzzle answers in specific bookstores in cities like Los Angeles and New York.

Each time a level is completed, a short, unreleased movie clip will be unlocked. The first 100 users to fully complete the puzzles will receive private screening passes for the film’s global premiere, as well as a limited-edition prop model signed by ’Jigsaw’."

Hearing this, James Wan couldn’t help but clap his hands. "This idea is absolutely brilliant! Turning the promotion into a puzzle game not only fits the movie’s core setting but also gives the audience a strong sense of participation. Leigh and I can design the puzzles ourselves to ensure every step echoes the movie’s plot. For instance, the numbers on the first combination lock could be the timestamp of a key scene in the movie."

Leigh Whannell also added, "We can also plant foreshadowing in the puzzles, like some seemingly unrelated symbols that are actually Easter eggs for the sequel. This can build audience loyalty in advance."

Chen Shiyu pushed up his glasses and took out the market data he had prepared. "According to Facebook’s user demographics, users aged 18 to 35 account for over 70%, with 30% being horror movie fans and 25% liking puzzle games. Irene’s plan precisely targets this demographic.

In addition, we can collaborate with well-known horror bloggers and puzzle influencers on Facebook, having them share the official website link in a tone of ’accidental discovery.’ For example, ’I received a strange email today, and opening it almost scared me to death. Can anyone crack this puzzle with me?’ This ’trusted social circle’ method of spreading the word is ten times more effective than hard advertising."

"And then there’s the key timing of Halloween," Robert picked up the thread. "The release of Saw is scheduled around Halloween, which is our biggest advantage. We need to launch the slogan ’If it’s Halloween, it must be Saw.’ deeply binding this release window with Saw so that audiences form a fixed association of ’watching Saw on Halloween.’"

He paused and continued, "Specifically, we can launch a ’Spooky Countdown’ campaign ten days before Halloween, posting a 15-second horror clip on Facebook every day. Each clip will hide a small puzzle, and solving it will reward users with a movie ticket discount coupon.

At the same time, we have already contacted 20 major theme parks in North America to set up real-life ’Jigsaw Escape Room’ experience zones during Halloween, where visitors can personally participate in solving puzzles and experience the tense atmosphere of the movie.

In addition, we can invite ten authoritative horror film critics to advanced screenings, letting them post reviews on social media like ’This is the scariest movie in history, my palms were sweating the entire last ten minutes,’ to generate buzz."

Irene added, "We should also do targeted marketing for horror movie email subscribers. We can write emails in the persona of ’Jigsaw’ to send to them: ’Have you ever committed an unforgivable mistake? Now, it is time to be tested. Click the link to unlock your destiny.’ At the end, we’ll attach the official website link and an interactive segment where users can input their fears to generate a personalized ’Jigsaw Warning’ image, making it easy for them to share on social platforms."

"Promotion is important, but the most crucial part is controlling word-of-mouth," Irene shifted her tone, becoming serious. "We must learn the lesson of The Blair Witch Project. Promotion can be slightly exaggerated, but it cannot drift away from the quality of the film itself. The plot, pacing, and thriller atmosphere of Saw are all top-tier. Our marketing must be based on facts, highlighting the film’s suspense and the charm of its twists, rather than simply relying on gory scenes to grab attention.

We want to build Saw into a franchise IP. The word-of-mouth of the first installment will directly determine future development, so we must match the promotion with the quality, making the audience feel it’s ’well worth the money’."

Robert deeply agreed. "Exactly, this isn’t a one-time deal. Through the success of the first film, we need to establish the perception that Saw = high-quality thrillers. Down the road, we can also develop merchandise, such as ’Jigsaw’ masks, puzzle props, and movie soundtracks, to form a complete commercial loop."

Standing in the corner, Daniel David no longer had his initial defiance. Instead, it was replaced by admiration. "This plan is incredibly comprehensive. Whether it’s the online viral marketing or the offline real-life experience, it far exceeds the scope of traditional promotion. I am willing to fully cooperate with the execution to ensure the plan is successfully implemented."

Robert glanced at him and nodded. "Very well. Mr. Chen, please take charge of connecting with Facebook’s platform resources to ensure the technical stability of the official website and groups, while also coordinating the screening arrangements for the film critics.

Daniel, you will be responsible for linking with the theme parks and offline channels to push forward the construction of the ’Jigsaw Escape Rooms’.

James Wan and Leigh, please come up with the puzzle design proposals as soon as possible, ensuring they highly align with the movie’s plot.

Irene, you will oversee the overall pacing remotely and help us patch up any loopholes."

"Understood!" everyone responded in unison, their eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.