CROSS-PLATFORM MURDER MYSTERY CAMPAIGN

A 6-month cross-platform campaign in which every major marketing beat contained hidden clues that could be solved at a central crime scene website to unlock exclusive content about the film’s suspects.

Along the way, we managed to get the many disparate marketing divisions at Fox to work together in an unprecedented manner.

EW cover Clues

As an EW exclusive, fans were provided first looks from the film which contained the initial step to unlock the “Clues are Everywhere” campaign.

Website Connected Clues

The official website launched as an immersive fact-finding experience, putting you the viewer in Poirot’s shoes. Visitors explored various items displayed in the train cabin which all contained clues to the broader campaign.

Hardman’s clue: The coin

Working in tandem with the creative advertising group, we connected the clue-finding adventure to the official Key Art. Hidden amongst the actors was a coin that led fans to a series of content pieces.

Tools of the trade video

Original storytelling content piece littered with clues continuing fans on their journey. Video piece using film assets, unit photography, stock images, motion type, describing the weapons and other tools necessary to be a bodyguard / private security during that time. The video will be designed to look like a flat lay, interspersed with shots of an unseen bodyguard holding the item in question.

macqueen’s story

The character path led from a series of “ads” to a phone number that kept fans on their journey. Led to 4-5 static newspaper ads for MacQueen’s obviously shady accounting services (“with total discretion”), showing an image of Josh Gad in character as a tip of the hat to fans. The ads invite you to: “Keep Your Money Clean. Contact MacQueen!”

CLUE FUELED NEWSREEL

Original storytelling content piece with clues towards the completion of the fan journey. A short newsreel video with 1934 style narration tells of the mysterious Countess Andrenyi who has married the esteemed Count Andrenyi, but no one knows anything about her, and questions remain as to her health.

AMAZON PARTNERSHIP

A TV spot included a quick shot of Mrs. Hubbard’s luggage tag, with the destination field empty. Hidden in the billing block, is the hashtag #OrientExpressItinerary. When you search Amazon for this term, you find the name of the destination city, which you enter into the input field. This unlocks Hubbard’s content.

HSN PARTNERSHIP

The key prop from the film, the pocket watch, was featured as an item on HSN - the hosts comments were filled with clues that continued the storytelling path. The clue/keyword would be input into a form field on the website to which it unlocked another bit of information.

Godiva Partnership

A Godiva promo piece shows Hildegarde with chocolate on her fingertips. There is a crumpled Godiva wrapper in the crime scene. Entering the word GODIVA unlocks Hildegarde’s content.

Talent exclusives

At the end of the clue hunt, the characters from the film provided an appreciation for the participants with exclusive custom content for the fans.

PRESS & ORGANIC

2.8 billion

overall reach for “Orient Express”

225,000

mentions of “Clues Are Everywhere”

99.3%

positive sentiment

70% Female / 30% Male

83% 18-24 year olds

$350,200,000

Global Box Office