Unless you have spent the best part of the last two months cast away at sea, it is likely that you have been unable to escape talk of the Minecraft Movie.
When you open any platform, it’s there, when you walk outside, it’s there- you can’t even do your food shop without running into a million blocky foods linked to Minecraft brand partnerships.
Though some people might hate that Minecraft has completely taken over the world, as leading creative marketers, we can’t help but be impressed.
We haven’t seen a cultural impact like this since Barbenheimer, and it’s taken us all by surprise that a game about blocks has the world in a chokehold. Stranger things have happened, and at Blaze, we have to give a fantastic marketing campaign credit when credit’s due.
In this blog, we will provide a comprehensive overview of how the Minecraft marketing strategy is one of the best our team has ever seen, and break down the aspects of the strategy that have contributed to the film’s success.
Strap in and try not to read too much into the fact that our mid-20s copywriter knows an alarming amount about the world of Minecraft.
Warning, this blog may contain spoilers for anyone who hasn’t watched the film.
The Growing Power of IP Content
For once, we aren’t discussing computing and the technical aspects of marketing; in this instance, IP stands for Intellectual Property, as opposed to an Internet Protocol Address.
Since the success of films such as Barbie and the Super Mario Bros. Movie, there has been a rise in the creation of IP-based content. Think about it, last time you kicked your feet up to binge a new series, how many of the shows that you came across were based on games?
The reason that so many companies are turning to IP is essentially for safety. These pre-existing games and toys already have an established fan base and brand that these studios can capitalise on.
This highlights the importance of brand consistency and ensuring that you have a clear understanding of your brand, because if you are able to build your brand into a household name that people are well aware of, there is the potential that people will recognise your brand’s success and want to collaborate with you in the future.
By no means are we saying that your business is guaranteed to be transformed into a film thanks to a bit of brand consistency, but you get the sentiment.
How The Minecraft Movie Utilised Its Cast
One of the biggest marketing successes of the Minecraft movie was the announcement of its cast. For anyone who has played the Minecraft game from Mojang Studios, you will be very familiar with the character Steve.
For many people, Steve was a trusted companion familiar to us all throughout our formative years. So, when the Minecraft movie was announced with Warner Bros Pictures at the helm and Jared Hess set to direct, we were all excited to see who they cast as our childhood hero.
They cast Jack Black.
When Jack was first cast, the whole world had no idea what to think. He looked nothing like Steve, which caused slight outrage and raised concerns about the live action movie’s success. However, after some time, the world started to realise that the casting choice actually clarified the exact tone of the movie- it was set to be a quirky comedy, and this casting completely solidified that.
Jack Black is renowned for his comedic timing and spontaneous attitude to life, and this completely shone in the run-up to the film’s release, with every interview with Jack being absolutely hilarious. Deciding to focus on humour in their marketing strategy arguably saved the film’s reputation and encouraged viewers not to take it too seriously.
The cast also featured other comedy legends, including Jennifer Coolidge and Jason Momoa, whose characters provided a hilarious contrast to Jack Black’s. Casting has a huge role to play in the success of this movie, with many people going to see the film just to figure out why they cast Hollywood icon Jennifer Coolidge in such a strange film.
Not to mention the number of mums who ran to take their kids to the cinema when they found out Jason Momoa was involved.
Social Media Done Right
Whether you liked the movie or not, it’s hard to deny that the Minecraft Movie made the most out of social media marketing before the release of the film.
Warner Bros. expertly used social media to reach their target audience, using official accounts to share teaser images, cast announcements and even behind-the-scenes clips.
Minecraft video game content creators and influencers were looped into the marketing strategy early on, being encouraged to promote the movie across their YouTube channels and social media in exchange for first-look content.
The production has a clear idea of its ideal client persona and was quick to collaborate with influencers who represented that persona, thereby influencing the target audience and making its marketing efforts seem more organic and community driven.
One particularly clever move the team made was to provide equipment for people to host a Minecraft-themed movie night, which they, of course, promoted extensively on their social media.
The marketing team for the Minecraft movie effectively targeted their ads, ensuring they reached the right audience and only marketed to people who would be interested in the film.
Which, based on reaction, seems to be 75% of the world.
Embodying Meme Culture The Right Way
There is absolutely nothing worse than a business or movie trying to make itself into a meme. It can feel so forced and incredibly unfunny, to the point that it turns into negative attention.
With the announcement of the Minecraft movie, we all braced ourselves for some pretty horrific memes, but that isn’t what we received at all. Warner Bros. didn’t even bother with out-of-date and off-putting memes, instead letting the established Minecraft community take the lead.
As predicted in our 2024 digital marketing trends blog, people are developing a preference for user-generated content, and apparently, this extends all the way to memes.
Certain films’ social media marketing often attempts to impose a message or meme, leading to a negative response. In contrast, the Minecraft campaign has patiently observed audience reactions and adjusted its approach accordingly. This strategy focuses on embracing public sentiment and aligning with the momentum, instead of resisting it.
Who knew that making memes would come with so many rules?
Marketing Powered by In-Game Content
The Minecraft Movie was a huge deal for anyone who has played the games. The game has been around for over 15 years, which means that a lot of people who played the game as children are now fully fledged adults who probably haven’t played the game in some time.
The movie reignited the Minecraft spark in people, with the game’s player count surging by 35% since the film’s release, marking the biggest surge since the pandemic.
Much of this is due to the in-game tie-ins created by the movie, which designed a special world inspired by the movie that people worldwide could play on. Not to mention, there were numerous brand-new skins, maps, and mini-games themed around the film, which were heavily promoted on the Minecraft Marketplace.
We can’t forget the real-life opportunities to get skins for the game, but we will get into that in more detail shortly.
The growth of game players only highlights how successful the marketing campaign has been for the movie, transcending just the film and igniting everyone’s obsession with Minecraft.
Trust us, we’ve lived it. The Blaze office is currently adorned with a worrying amount of Minecraft decor, and there have been one too many Minecraft songs on the shared playlist.
This success story isn’t unique, and speaks to our earlier point on the growing power of IP. Following the release of the Fallout TV series, Amazon’s adaptation of the popular game series released in 2024, its games saw a huge player count resurgence of around 200%. Another similar case is in HBO’s The Last of US adaptation, which has just returned for a second season.
Minecraft Brand Partnerships
Something that the Minecraft Movie absolutely mastered was the use of brand collaboration. Warner Bros. partnered with a long list of brands, doing their best to reach as many subsections of their target audience as possible before the film’s release.
Some of the brands they collaborated with include:
McDonald’s
You know how we mentioned that the Blaze office was beautifully adorned with Minecraft decor? Well, we can thank McDonald’s for that.
The Minecraft Movie collaborated with McDonald’s to create a limited edition Minecraft Movie Meal, which was essentially a standard Happy Meal, but with an added Minecraft collectable.
Some of these collectables even came with codes, allowing you to use the figurine’s skin in-game, which means that people all over the world were on the hunt to collect the figurines before they sold out.
This was a brilliant marketing move from the two brands.
Walkers
Walkers and Minecraft went full throttle with their collaboration, with Walkers changing its packaging to match the movie and offering consumers a range of prizes that could be won upon scanning the code on the back of promotional packs.
Walkers offered a whole host of prizes for those who scanned the crisp packets, ranging from movie merchandise to a trip to Hollywood, which had people scrambling to pick up a bag.
Adidas
Adidas is always quick to collaborate with some of the biggest brands out there, so it only made sense when they released an apparel and footwear collection inspired by the movie.
Adidas’ apparel range highlighted the beautiful scenery that could be found when playing the game, turning popular biomes into functional pieces that were guaranteed to make a statement.
This is another example of fantastically demonstrated user-generated content, with people taking to social media to show off their newest outfits, unknowingly advertising the film at the same time.
NYX Cosmetics
It’s true what they say. No matter your interests, age or gender, Minecraft holds a special place in a lot of hearts across the globe.
Minecraft has a huge female fan base, so it was a smart move to collaborate with NYX to create a limited-edition Minecraft collection. This collection included some signature balms with beautiful packaging and a handheld mirror inspired by the film.
Creating these functional yet visually impactful pieces was a fantastic way to bring further attention to the film’s release and create hype in the run-up to opening night.
These collaborations only emphasised the power of fantastic branding, as businesses all over the world were eager to work with Minecraft due to its iconic impact on the world and recognisable branding.
Expertly Crafted Immersive Campaigns
When we say that the Minecraft Movie smashed their marketing campaign, we really mean it. Did the movie need to go to this extent? Not really. Are we happy that they did? Absolutely.
Again, if you were young when Minecraft the game first came out, you probably dreamed of being able to immerse yourself in the world and experience what it was like to live in the Minecraft world. For a lot of us, the closest we could get to that was Minecraft VR, but it just isn’t the same.
Imagine the world’s surprise when Minecraft announced a series of pop-up installations in New York, London and Tokyo, which recreated the Minecraft biomes that we have all grown up with, enabling people to walk through life-sized versions of these biomes.
These pop-ups are more than just visual spectacles; they are a fully functional experience with immersive puzzle rooms and even crafting stations.
Not only was this a great way to market the movie, but it was also a great way for the company to give back to the community, utilising some of their budget to create an unforgettable experience for fans of the game and movie, thereby encouraging the childlike wonder of their fans.
That being said, if the experience popped up in Liverpool, our lot would be the first in line. In the meantime, we simply have to sit at our desks, yearning for the mines, and continuing to deliver expert agency support to all our clients.
Music is the Food of Marketing
First of all, a moment of appreciation for the subheading.
Moving on.
Something that came out of the Minecraft Movie was an insane soundtrack. The soundtrack was released before the movie, and by the time people settled down to watch the film, half of the cinema already knew the words.
With a vocal powerhouse like Jack Black on the team, an impressive soundtrack was to be expected, but never in a million years could we have guessed that people would be singing the words lava chicken on repeat. This song in particular has even made UK chart history as the shortest ever song to enter the top 40.
These songs are also a great example of the team knowing their audience. Although many millennials are attending the movie to relive nostalgia, the primary audience for the film is Gen Z.
If there is something that Gen Z absolutely loves, it’s a repetitive, catchy phrase that they can repeat.
Don’t believe us? How many times have you heard the phrase skibidi toilet in the last two years? Case closed.
Gen Z has latched onto phrases, particularly annoying ones, so phrases like ‘lava chicken’ or ‘chicken jockey’ have been rampant since the release of the films, with some cinemas holding separate screenings to allow people to say these phrases aloud during the movie.
Gentle reminder that this will be the generation running the country soon.
Jokes aside, it is great to see the impact that this film has had and just how much fun the younger generation is having with it.
The Power of a Great Marketing Team
If the release of this movie has proven anything, it is that with the help of the right marketing team, your brand can really excel and reach its potential.
Warner Bros. spearheaded the global marketing campaign for the film, orchestrating promotional efforts across multiple platforms. Thanks to the collaborative drive from the Warner Bros. team, this movie soared to heights that far exceeded anyone’s wildest expectations.
The Minecraft Movie’s marketing success only emphasises the importance of having a fantastic marketing team by your side, one that can deliver bespoke campaign suggestions and know how to appeal to your target audience and get your business in the spotlight.
Reach Your Marketing Potential With Blaze
Hopefully, through this blog, we have not only highlighted the marketing success of the Minecraft Movie but also the importance of working with an experienced, creative marketing agency when trying to create a successful marketing campaign.
At Blaze, we have helped a number of clients smash their goals and exceed their expectations by curating fantastic content and delivering exceptional marketing strategies.
Want to reach your marketing potential and outrank your competitors? Get in touch today.