Paramount Goes Deep with Promotions for DnD: Honor Among Thieves

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Paramount Pictures has been going all-out in promoting its upcoming fantasy film, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, initiating a collaboration with a tech company called Lightricks and investing in various multi-channel promotions ahead of the movie’s release.

In this article, we will dive into the details of this exciting collaboration and explore some of the other promotional strategies Paramount has employed to build buzz for the highly anticipated film.

Lightricks Collaboration

Known for its suite of popular content creation products such as Facetune and Videoleap, Lightricks has created a special DnD-themed generative AI feature within its Photoleap app.

With this feature, users can immerse themselves into the world of DnD by uploading between 10-20 images of themselves before the app creates a series of custom avatars in their likeness.

These avatars are shareable across social media, and Paramount encourages users to post their custom avatars in order to further expand the reach of the movie’s marketing efforts.

This creative utilization of generative AI technology is a great example of how Paramount is delivering on its promise to offer fans an immersive experience that goes beyond the typical movie promotion.

It also serves to highlight the growing trend of studios partnering with app developers to engage with audiences and create buzz around their movie releases.

Comic-Con 2022

Paramount’s promotional efforts for DnD extend far beyond their collaboration with Lightricks. The studio has organized a series of events and tie-ins to attract fans and generate excitement for the film.

At Comic-Con, Paramount presented a first look at Honor Among Thieves,  including a Tavern Experience that allowed attendees to immerse themselves in the world of Dungeons & Dragons.

This engaging event transported fans to a life-like fantasy tavern, complete with themed food, drinks, and actors in character, providing an unforgettable interactive experience. The Comic-Con panel offered further insight into the film’s production and allowed fans to connect with the cast and crew.

During the panel, Goldstein and Daley assured fans that their movie will stay true to the lore of the game and that there will be plenty of easter eggs and references to the original ruleset and characters.

The Super Bowl

To garner even more attention for the movie, Paramount decided to not just exhibit at Comic-Con, but also showcase a trailer during the Super Bowl, one of the most watched events on television worldwide.

This prime-time exposure helped to pique interest and create buzz among a wide range of viewers, especially those who may not have been exposed to the DnD franchise prior.

The trailer itself was a visually stunning and exciting glimpse into the world of DnD, with impressive CGI effects, intense action, and even a hint of comedy between Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriquez.

Characters as NPCs in D&D Beyond

Paramount also cleverly tapped into the film’s core audience by launching a game tie-in, allowing characters from Honor Among Thieves to join existing Dungeons & Dragons campaigns in D&D Beyond. This move not only excited long-time DnD fans but also encouraged newcomers to explore the game’s rich lore and immersive gameplay.

Chris Pine’s character, Edgin Davis, as well as six others from the movie, can now be claimed by simply logging into one’s account, and it’s safe to say they have some impressive stats to accompany their character sheets.

Southwest (SXSW) Festival

The film’s presence was also felt at the 2023 South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, where Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves premiered with a screening at the opening night.

This prestigious slot at the popular festival served as a testament to the film’s potential impact and further boosted the anticipation for its release.

Paramount: Experts at Building Buzz

Paramount’s promotional strategies for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves demonstrate the studio’s mastery of building buzz across channels. A prime example of this can be seen in their recent release, Smile, which employed a creepy marketing stunt that went viral.

In the lead-up to Smile, Paramount hired “smilers” to appear at random public places, such as the Today Show and a Yankees vs. Red Sox game, to deliver haunting smirks.

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This unconventional marketing approach quickly gained traction online, as unsuspecting onlookers captured and shared the eerie promotional events. Smile went on to become a box office success, grossing over $37 million worldwide in just a few days.

By collaborating with Lightricks, creating immersive events like the Tavern Experience, and leveraging high-profile platforms such as the Super Bowl and SXSW, Paramount has positioned Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves as a must-see film for veteran fans and newcomers alike, and it’s certainly one to keep an eye out for when it’s released in on March 31.

As audience attention becomes increasingly fragmented, studios like Paramount must continue to push the boundaries of traditional marketing methods, embracing new platforms and experiences to capture the imagination of moviegoers.