The Eight Hundred

From the acclaimed filmmaker behind Mr. Six comes a riveting war epic.

When Shanghai falls to Japanese forces in 1937, a battalion of 800 young Chinese soldiers retreats to a warehouse stronghold amid the raging urban battlefield. Vastly outnumbered with dwindling supplies, they vow to fight to the last man. As the siege intensifies, the men face unrelenting attacks with warrior’s honor, demonstrating extraordinary courage and loyalty. Told through an emotional personal lens, The Eight Hundred highlights the profound heroism and humanity that can emerge between soldiers and comrades under fire. Hailed for its unflinching realism and devastating depictions of the savagery of war, the film powerfully honors the ordinary heroes of China’s war of resistance. Their brave last stand and sacrifice is a timeless testament to the strength and resilience of the human spirit against impossible odds.

THE CHALLENGE

The Eight Hundred was a very successful Chinese film release. Actually the most successful of 2020, per the Box Office Numbers. The team behind the film was preparing a release in the US, and we were tasked with helping them develop a marketing strategy to bring the film to the US market.

Our Solutions

We created a custom marketing strategy roadmap to garner an engaged audience and build momentum towards release day. We identified the target audiences, built targeted ad campaigns and organized influencer and cross promotion opportunities across social media. In addition a custom branded website was developed to help organize these efforts, along with a live tracking dashboard which helped showcase relevant campaign data in real time.

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The Results

With the strategic mix of web design, paid media, and influencer marketing the film had a strong US VOD opening week, exceeding expectations.

Our multi-channel marketing strategy generated substantial awareness and interest around the launch. The custom website distributed trailers, clips and watch information, driving high organic traffic and conversions. Paid social campaigns reached millions, achieving excellent engagement rates. Influencer initiatives expanded the potential audience with key endorsements.

The US launch was hugely successful by the numbers and received glowing reviews. But beyond commercial performance, our work enabled this incredible film to find an audience that could appreciate its artistic achievements.