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The extraordinary success of Sean Baker’s sex worker romance at the Oscars on Sunday has left many gawping at the campaigning nous of indie distributor Neon, who released the film in the US.
Five years ago, they propelled another Palme d’Or winner at Cannes, Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, to an Oscars landslide. The price-tag on that victory, as well as all the marketing and press tours costs for the film, was $20m (£15.5m).
They brought in the final bill for Baker’s movie slightly under that, at $18m – a figure that is nonetheless three times its budget. Neon’s strategy for the film, explained CEO Tom Quinn to Variety, was to lean in to the film’s Gen Z and homemade appeal, rather than to traditional critics and tastemakers.
For example, a one-day only popup shop for Anora merchandise appeared in November in the parking lot of King’s of Body, an auto repair yard on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Queues of 300 fans began at 10am for a 3pm opening for the car-boot style retailer, which sold a range of clothing and posters also available at Neon’s online store.
These include red branded “little wifey” thongs, a snip at $15, plus T-shirts with various slogans from the film, including “Stay jealous, babe!”, “You hit the lotto, bitch!” and “Fuckin’ Cinderella” ($35).
Two limited-edition prints are also available, which feature 70s style artwork showing star Mikey Madison in alluring poses. “This isn’t allowed … but I like you,” runs one tagline; “She’ll take care of everything you need,” the other. The first Hollywood screening of film was filled by publicists with sex workers, rather than Oscar voters.
The campaign’s eventual success is evidence of the cut-through of such a strategy, as well as the evolving makeup of the Academy’s demographic. Its chief rivals at the Oscars – The Brutalist, Conclave and A Complete Unknown – were all perceived to have fans that were older, white and male, a hegemony the Academy has sought to correct in recent years.
Baker’s film was made for $6m – the lowest on the best picture shortlist. Also acclaimed for its tight costs was The Brutalist, which was brought in for $10m, and whose additional marketing spend is likely to rival that of Anora’s.
Both films have taken just over $40m, with Anora’s streaming deals with Apple and Amazon suggesting its real profits may be yet higher. The film is topping charts on those streaming services, and a cinema rerelease is scheduled.
A24, the rival indie distributor behind The Brutalist, brought out a more modest range of merchandise for their film, including two T-shirts and a small-scale model of the community centre (based on a concentration camp) designed by the architect character as its heart. The limited edition of 500 zinc models cost $75 and are already sold out.
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A Complete Unknown, meanwhile, will be hoping to recoup some of its spend – initial budget $70m, marketing spend likely well in excess of that – through tie-in products and sponsorship deals. Levi’s is selling a suede jacket inspired by the film for $1,200, while vintage-style 501 jeans are $495. A Triumph motorbike like that ridden by Chalamet’s Bob Dylan retails for $12,895.
Meanwhile New York cocktail bar Dante partnered with Bob Dylan’s whiskey brand Heaven’s Door Tennessee Whiskey and Searchlight Pictures to offer an exclusive cocktail called Like a Rolling Stone. “We wanted to create a drink that reflects Dylan’s raw, authentic style and his ability to blend genres, just as he blended folk, rock and blues in his music,” said Dante’s beverage training director Renato Tonelli.
Tonelli adds: “A combination of bourbon and palo cortado sherry offers a rich, soulful base, while crème de mûre blackberry liqueur brings a touch of complexity and depth, echoing Dylan’s poetic lyrics. Toasted oat syrup and walnut bitters add a nutty, earthy warmth, reminiscent of the grit and resilience that defines Dylan’s journey through life and music.”
Conclave, about wrangling cardinals electing a new pope, cost $20m with marketing costs likely to gently exceed that. No official merchandise is available, but enterprising retailers have created unofficial T-shirts that focus on the energetic vaping, and even sticker sets featuring cartoon versions of the key cast, along with the phrase “messy bitch convention”.
