Oscar-winning Japanese animator and film director Hayao Miyazaki breaks marketing norms with new film release
Oscar-winning Japanese animator and film director Hayao Miyazaki is known for his sweeping box-office success and critically acclaimed works. His latest film, “How Do You Live?”, is set to premiere in Japan this summer. What sets this release apart is its unconventional marketing strategy, which involves minimal promotion and a reliance on Miyazaki’s reputation and the prestige of Studio Ghibli.
Miyazaki’s retirement announcement in 2013 seemed to mark the end of his filmmaking career. However, he surprised fans by producing “How Do You Live?”, an adaptation of a 1937 Japanese novel. Despite the film opening in Japan on July 14th, very little information has been released about it. There are no trailers or images, only a mysterious poster featuring a bird illustration.
The decision to release a highly anticipated film without any marketing campaign is unprecedented, especially considering Miyazaki’s status as one of the most acclaimed anime directors of all time. His films have consistently been box-office hits, including the record-breaking “Spirited Away”. The lack of promotion for “How Do You Live?” is a risky move that challenges the traditional approach to film marketing.
If this unconventional strategy proves successful, it could have significant implications for the industry. Hollywood, known for its multimillion-dollar marketing campaigns, may take note and reconsider the massive investments they make in promotion. The trust and interest that audiences have in renowned directors like Miyazaki could be leveraged to reduce costs and still achieve box-office success.
As audiences eagerly await the premiere of “How Do You Live?” in Japan and its subsequent release worldwide, the outcome of this experiment will be closely watched. Whether it will redefine film marketing or serve as a cautionary tale remains to be seen.
This article was written exclusively for in Spanish by Cine54.
