As audiences scroll fast and forget faster, what is "viral" anymore?

Between dysfunctional algorithms¹, copycat platforms, and increasingly niche social communities, “virality” is losing its potency. The flash in the pan may still seem bright, but its impact has weakened. Combine that with oversaturation, diminished attention spans, and an audience’s increasing desire to curb their urge to scroll², and you’re left either chasing the virality of yesterday or pretending that the social metrics will eventually convert. Views are mistaken for intent³, likes for relevance, and above all — a presumed trust that the audience’s fleeting moment of attention will last until a film's release.

More than ever, there’s a greater pressure and need to connect deeper with audiences — relying less on instant impressions and more on sustained invitations. It’s asking less about “virality” and searching deeper for “the big idea.”

One of our earliest agency memories of this larger narrative is our work for Swiss Army Man. It was more than introducing audiences to a lifeless Manny — it was allowing you to become his best friend. Every aspect of the campaign gave audiences that very opportunity — from an interactive SMS campaign where he’d text you curiously important questions (sharing the most outlandish responses), to a website experience that allowed the two of you to play (though, Manny may feel that it was a bit one-sided). We even sent free pizzas to those that befriended him the longest. This larger purpose for the campaign not only provided consistency, but it also empowered fans to champion their personal experience with the character — building word of mouth, enthusiasm, and anticipation for the full film experience to follow.

For A24 and Ti West’s MaXXXine, we wanted to do more than transition audiences from farm to fame. Instead, we set out to fast-forward audiences’ understanding of Maxine Minx as a fully-established movie star.

From distributing her printed headshot to the masses, urging fans to graffiti her Hollywood star across the sidewalks of LA, and projecting her quotes across iconic buildings in Hollywood, we made sure there was never any doubt in the stature of her movie star presence. This even included a custom photoshoot with Mia Goth herself on Hollywood Blvd just before a surprise appearance at a fan screening. The campaign as a whole acted as a cultural moment; one that rewarded legacy fans for their years of support, welcomed new fans into the fold with real-life entry points, and gave plenty of reasons to fanatically line up for release.

Beyond the world of Maxine and Manny, we've continuously challenged ourselves to create connected campaigns — not expecting audiences to experience each moment, but ensuring that each moment that they do experience is always rooted in a larger idea.

For Amazon’s AIR, we threaded everything through the lens of 1984 — transporting audiences to the year that Nike's basketball division nearly folded. And for Alex Garland’s Civil War, we recontextualized the front lines through toy soldiers and the question of "What if?"