THE SUPREME CINEMA CAMPAIGN
The upcoming Timothée Chalamet adventure, Marty Supreme, is a sports drama set in the 1950s that follows the life of an aspiring ping-pong player trying to make it to the big leagues. The film features prominent names like Gwyneth Paltrow and marks the on-screen debut of Tyler, the Creator and Kevin O’Leary. It is also the first independent directorial venture for Josh Safdie, previously one half of the Safdie brothers, the duo behind critically acclaimed projects such as Good Time and Uncut Gems.
The current PR campaign for Marty Supreme is nothing short of a masterclass in creative risk-taking. At a time when it is increasingly difficult for indie films to pull audiences into theaters, campaigns need to do more than promote a movie. They need to create moments. The Marty Supreme campaign does exactly that, setting a new benchmark for how films can live beyond traditional campaigning.
Part of the reason A24 leaned so heavily into unconventional ideas is strategic. Following the theatrical underperformance of The Smashing Machine, which failed to meet expectations despite the anticipation surrounding Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the studio was forced to rethink its approach. Rather than playing it safe, A24 chose to think outside the box and fully embrace bold, culture-driven storytelling for Marty Supreme.
The campaign is a rapid-fire sequence of creative ideas, each more unexpected than the last. One of the first and most effective executions was the Zoom pitch meeting featuring Timothée Chalamet. In the video, Timothée is seen pitching bizarre and chaotic campaign ideas to the team. While clearly staged as a parody, the brilliance lies in the fact that several of the ideas discussed in the meeting actually became part of the real campaign. The Gen Z humor, the raw and authentic feel, and the sheer absurdity of the concepts resulted in an incredibly impactful piece of content, racking up nearly 10 million likes on Instagram.
Building on that momentum, the campaign rolled out exclusive Marty Supreme merchandise. A ’90s-style flyer jacket, marketed as a rare collectible and priced at over $400, had fans lining up for blocks in New York. The drop caught the attention of GQ, which went on to hail it as the “garment of the year.” This moment served as clear proof of how deeply the campaign had penetrated culture and how effectively it had captured its audience.
Taking cues directly from the Zoom pitch, the publicity team continued bringing absurd ideas to life. This included the Marty Supreme blimp and even placing Marty on the cover of a Wheaties box. The genius of the campaign lies in how unapologetically unserious it is. By blending humor with self-awareness, the team created a tone that resonates strongly with its core audience, largely Gen Z, without ever feeling forced.
As part of the latest campaign initiative, Timothée Chalamet climbed the Las Vegas Sphere to announce Marty Supreme, turning one of the world’s most recognizable landmarks into a cinematic spectacle. The stunt instantly went viral, reinforcing the film’s larger-than-life presence while staying true to the campaign’s playful and audacious spirit.
The icing on the cake, however, was Timothée rapping alongside EsDeeKid on a remix of his most popular song. The move cleverly leaned into the long-running rumor that Timothée might secretly be EsDeeKid, sparking even more online conversation. His verse focused heavily on Marty Supreme, and much of the internet buzz quickly shifted to how convincingly Timothée could rap. The result was massive traction, not just for the song, but for the film itself.
Ultimately, the Marty Supreme campaign proves that staying relevant in today’s film landscape goes far beyond traditional publicity tactics. Understanding internet culture, tapping into evolving online trends, and knowing how audiences engage with content in real time are now essential to staying on top in film publicity. By leaning into humor, self-awareness, and cultural moments, A24 demonstrates that relevance is not accidental—it is strategic, intentional, and crucial for a film to truly break through the noise.