My Cannes Creative Academy Essay: What is the most creative brand in the world and why?

Cinema, in my opinion, is a transcendent medium of storytelling. Bringing a simple idea to life through captivating screenplays, evocative performances, moving scores, nuanced lighting, cohesive editing, and much more is a creative art in and of itself. Yet, one brand continues to push the boundaries of creative storytelling, elevating its films to the next level. A24 is a film studio unlike any other because it was founded on the very principle of taking artistic risks rather than creating commercial successes. What began as an independent film studio founded in 2012, producing smaller-budget films aimed primarily at niche audiences, has since evolved into an indie powerhouse, championing bold and innovative stories beloved by both cinephiles and mainstream moviegoers alike. How did such a mammoth transition take place, and furthermore, so quickly?

The answer to that lies in the creative strategies employed by the company to cultivate a distinctive and recognisable ‘A24 Brand’.

First and foremost, A24 simply lets filmmakers be filmmakers.

‍Established by three best friends who not only loved but also lived and breathed cinema, the studio understands the power of harnessing the inventiveness of ambitious filmmakers and the magic they can create when not under the dominating influence of big studios. Larger studios procure films by investing in them, and often call all the shots with regard to the editing, distribution, and promotion of the film. They are also heavily focused on box-office returns, which in turn may inhibit the creative expressions of many filmmakers. Simply put, A24 prevents the creative from turning corporate, essentially redefining what it means to be a collaborative film studio.

Secondly, A24 is not dictated by conventional, stereotypical definitions of ‘cool’; it defines what ‘cool’ is to begin with.

‍A24 has distinguished itself from its rivals by creating thought-provoking, risk-taking cinema, featuring visually striking elements, introducing fresh talent, and marketing its films in a way that has audiences going ‘What next?!’. They are unafraid to pick scripts that are unconventional and obscure, addressing current social, cultural and political themes. And when A24 has set its sights on a particular film, you can best be assured they will go to great lengths to acquire it. For instance, in early 2012, Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers had piqued their interest. A comedy-drama about four college girls going on a bizarre adventure trying to fund their spring break, Spring Breakers is a movie with no dearth of bikinis, booze and parties. Back in 2012, A24 was a pretty nascent film studio with no major credits under its belt. In order to convince the producers to let them have the film, the team created a DIY gift-basket featuring glass gun bongs and snacks, all packed into a cardboard box sealed with duct tape. A24 pulled out all the stops, tailoring the pitch to demonstrate their deep understanding of the story and its characters. And it was no surprise that they bagged the film. 

A24 extends its creativity not only to the stories it selects, but also to how it plans to reach its target audience with said story. In other words, A24 has perfected the art of film marketing like no other studio. To illustrate, many people using the app Tinder in 2015 matched with a 25 year old woman from New York named Ava. However, these hopeful romantics would soon have their desires crushed, as Ava wasn’t who she was claiming to be. A short text conversation with Ava would eventually lead them to an Instagram page promoting the movie Ex Machina - a sci-fi thriller about an intelligent humanoid robot named…(surprise, surprise) Ava! If Ava the humanoid herself wasn’t intriguing enough, throw in the twist of being catfished by a film studio, and Ex Machina suddenly stood out in an increasingly content-saturated market. This example is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to A24’s genius marketing techniques. 

A24 has proven to be an expert at leveraging experiential marketing.

For example, in 2017, they opened a pop-up shop in Manhattan called A Ghost Store, where patrons were wrapped in heavy, white bedsheets before being escorted to a strange room filled with weird, ethereal music and encouraged to engage in “meaningful reflection”. Normally, this might suggest recruitment by an enigmatic cult, but in A24’s case, they were simply promoting their film A Ghost Story. And to no surprise once again, the “cult-like” store was all people could talk about for days. They set up another pop-up store in New York City’s Diamond District to promote Uncut Gems (2019), an event promoted by Adam Sandler himself via his social media. A24 understands that, ultimately, movies have the potential to become much more than just films—they can evolve into cultural phenomena, and the best way to do that is to create conversations around them. 

As a technologist, I recognise the value of using data analytics and recommendation algorithms to connect with consumers on a deeper level, and A24 has effectively leveraged these tools as well! Whether you’ve seen a Twitter account for Phillip the Goat (Witch), Robert Pattinson’s face on pizza boxes (Good Time), or messages hidden in bottles (Swiss Army Man), they’re all A24’s way of subtly weaving their brand into your social media. These clever, unconventional ideas reach movie fans so inconspicuously that it feels as though they've stumbled upon something on their own. And what do people do when they've made a discovery? They share it. A24 knows that word-of-mouth and peer-to-peer promotion is where its at, and that’s exactly what makes them the smartest to do it.

Barry Jenkins once said, “I know what an A24 film is, but no A24 film is like any other.”

A24 stands out as a creative force, blending bold storytelling with innovative marketing, forging deep connections with audiences, and redefining how films are experienced and integrated into culture.