Film: Cocaine Bear

Client: Universal Pictures

Campaign Focus: Trailer, TV & Digital

Objective

Build mainstream interest and drive ticket sales for an original, fact-inspired thriller-comedy.

Challenge

Launching Cocaine Bear, a film inspired by a real 1985 incident involving a drug drop gone wrong and a black bear, required a strategy that could cut through the noise of IP-heavy box office competition. The key challenge: turn a lesser-known, unconventional story into a must-see theatrical event.

Solution: Lean Into Bold Storytelling

The trailer positioned Cocaine Bear as a fast-paced, genre-blending thrill ride. With kinetic editing, stylized visuals, and a tone that balanced tension with dark humor, the trailer promised a film experience unlike anything else in theaters.

2024 Clio Music
Silver

2023 Clio Entertainment
Gold

2023 Golden Trailer Awards
Best Comedy Trailer

Results

-Trailer garnered over 30 million views in the first week across digital platforms.

-#CocaineBear trended globally on Twitter and TikTok, driving organic engagement.

-Sparked wide media coverage, including major entertainment outlets and talk shows.

-Opened with $23M+ domestic and grossed $89M worldwide on a $30M budget.

-Built strong pre-release buzz, transforming a niche premise into a mainstream hit.

Takeaway

Cocaine Bear showed that bold concepts paired with confident, well-cut trailers can captivate audiences without relying on franchise recognition. By delivering a compelling tone and clear identity, the trailer campaign turned curiosity into ticket sales

“2023 Clio Entertainment Winner Silver (Campaign).”

Case Study.