What Marketers Can Learn from Ryan Reynolds

by | Feb 11, 2019 | Brilliant Marketing, Digital Marketing, Social Media | 0 comments

I have long been a fan of Ryan Reynolds. Minus that Green Lantern fiasco, he is a great actor. And what makes him so is his huge personality. I do think though that he truly became a star when he “created” Deadpool. Somehow, it is as though he truly connected with the character and… well … stayed in character on and off screen. Being Deadpool – smart and funny with a heaping serving of self-deprecating humor – works for him. It comes easy. My favorite moments of Ryan Reynolds’ brilliance, however, are not on screen at all, but off. The movie is fun, yes. But the marketing of it is even better. From pre-release teasers, to weird interviews, to crazy Walmart movies shelf takeovers, everything Reynolds does is hilarious and, most importantly, fully aligns with not only his character, but with his own personality. Moreover, Reynolds extends his self-deprecating humor to marketing of his new business, Aviation Gin. But more on that later. First, let’s go back a bit and take a look at Deadpool 2 genius marketing moves. Here are some bold movie’s teasers / posters / covers:   Then there is this priceless “With Apologies to David Beckham” teaser video: Of course, there is Deadpool’s “awkward interview” with IGN:   And who could ever forget Deadpool taking over Manchester United. My favorite closing quote:
“See, when you make a sequel, you have to double down on your promotion so you don’t just get buried by Infinity War.”
Another genius move was to use Deadpool’s master-of-sarcasm personality and love for limelight to work him into the cover art of other famous movies for sale at Walmart: I can probably keep going. But I am way too impatient to discuss his latest masterpiece – promotion of Aviation Gin, a boutique gin producer in the Pacific Northwest which Canadian actor recently acquired. The promotion for Aviation Gin started with a video that Ryan posted on his YouTube channel with this comment: “What makes Aviation Gin so delicious? I’m glad you didn’t ask…” The video jokingly describes the process of making gin, openly mocking a variety of other “perfect” and “inspiring” commercials produced by brands. Reynolds’ promotion of his new business closely resembles Deadpool’s disregard for the norm. And it’s delicious! And his ingenuity doesn’t end there. Huge kudos to Reynolds for the creative way in which he and Sir Richard Branson announced their new partnership:   Furthermore, Reynolds shrewdly uses his Twitter “war” with Hugh Jackman (even though they are friends in real life) to cross-promote not only his business, but Jackman’s new venture as well. Reynolds/Jackman “feud” goes back to Wolverine/Deadpool beef that has been somewhat even for a while, until Reynolds tweeted this: Jackman fired back, suggesting that Reynolds’ success wasn’t exactly earned.   However, recently the two actors decided to call a truce and to make up for previous transgressions to make ads for each of other’s respective new businesses. A truce is always nice. Or is it? Last week Reynolds tweeted this video with a caption that read “F for effort”: Not sure what Hugh Jackman was “mad” about. After all, Reynolds wasn’t the one who did this to him at a Christmas party: Needless to say, both actors found a brilliant and light-hearted way to cross-promote each other’s movies and each other’s new ventures. What can marketers learn from Ryan Reynolds? Here are my thoughts:
  1. Find out who you are, shape your brand and voice around your identity, and stick with it. Surprisingly enough, most brands don’t know who they really are and what they stand for. They sway from left to right and backwards trying to find that golden nugget that would take them viral overnight. They change their voice, their approach, their tone, and sometimes even their logo in a desperate attempt to not become outdated. And consumers see right through it. Those brands that are firm in their purpose, their personality, and their values tend to be consistent in how they talk to the world and that is what resonates the most. You might not please everyone. You might not dominate the market. But you will attract the crowd that “gets you” and that’s where loyalty lives.
  2. Infuse your personality into everything you do. Yes, everything! Some might say that not all marketing ideas for his movies came from Ryan. That may be true. Though a big chunk of them – including some very niche and unique jokes Deadpool makes – did come from the actor and his quirky personality. He brings the same personality to marketing Aviation Gin. And we all say “that’s so Ryan Reynolds.” And that’s powerful!
  3. Stop taking yourself seriously! Humor goes a long way in connecting with your audience and with your customers. So many executives are deathly afraid of poking fun at themselves and their own mistakes because they are worried about bad publicity. Humanity and humility are always more attractive and trustworthy than your spotless reputation and flawless speech. You gotta step off of that high horse and humanize your brand. That’s the only way forward.
  4. Just because nobody has done it before, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. You want to be a leader, you need to be willing to take risk on an uncharted territory and original ideas. Otherwise, you are a follower. The best of the best don’t benchmark themselves against their industry rivals, they benchmark themselves against global leaders who create extraordinary things in extraordinary ways.
  5. Start a feud with another celebrity… Wait! That’s not it. 😊 Don’t broadcast, engage others. Yes, that’s the one. Time and time again we broadcast: our opinion, information, product benefits… People don’t want to be talked down to, they want to be engaged. Start a conversation, spark a debate, maybe even engage your competition around a worthwhile cause. Don’t sell, converse! Listen as much as you talk. Consider your customers’ opinions and feedback. Crowd-source ideas and technologies. Empower your employees to engage with your customers and with the world. The list goes on.
Whatever you do, do it with love and flare. Engage with others and make meaningful connections. Get creative. Invite crazy ideas. Allow your personality to shine. The outcome might just pleasantly surprise you.  

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