Fans and critics alike were excited to see Zendaya step into one of her first major leading film roles as Tashi Duncan in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, the most anticipated tennis movie of the year. Except… the film wasn’t really about tennis. To dissuade audiences from writing Challengers off as just another sports movie and retain their attention for a nearly year-long campaign window, we turned our social campaign into the Tashi Duncan show.
All social assets were focused on Tashi or positioned through her distinctive lens, allowing fans to understand and appreciate the fierce intensity she brings to all aspects of her life. When a piece featured Art or Patrick, it was always done so through their relationship with Tashi, as she described them in her own words.
Digital stunts and real-time Global Tour coverage similarly allowed viewers to bask in Tashi’s power, leading to an impressive amount of fan participation (including the inception of #TashiMadeMeWearIt) and social interaction leading up to the film’s premiere.
Challengers headed into its opening weekend with over 700,000 mentions, accounting for 91% of all upcoming theatrical movie buzz online, resulting in an absolute grand slam of a theatrical campaign.
