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Paramount’s new film benefits from savvy marketing
MUMBAI: Viacom’s film studio Paramount Pictures has scored a much needed hit with the Jim Carrey film Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. The company has attributed a large part of the film’s success to companies that partnered on a marketing campaign in the US..
The film has grossed nearly $100 million since it opened in the US on 17 December.
Paramount Pictures senior VP worldwide marketing partnerships Lisa DiMarzio said, “Our successful promotional campaign reflected the high level of excitement for this film. The film’s storyline gave us the opportunity to pursue groundbreaking partners with clever campaigns, a la AFlac, Sunny D, and Papa John’s and reach different segments of our extremely large audience in a fun and unique ways.”
Aflac is a global insurance company. A television commercial saw the AFlac Duck starring in an unfortunate TV spot encountering an experience alarming enough to be right out of the movie. The alliance between Paramount Pictures and AFlac marked the first-ever marketing partnership between an insurance carrier and a film studio.
American pizza maker Papa Johns participated in their first-ever promotional programme tied to a major film release. Papa’s Fortunate Deal invited customers to purchase a large Papa John’s pizza with up to five toppings and a limited edition Lemony Snicket CD-Rom for $13.99.
For the uninitiated the film sees the mysterious Lemony Snicket voiced by Oscar nominee Jude Law recounting the alarming story of the three Baudelaire orphans. The 14-year old Violet played by Emily Browning is one of the greatest inventors the world has ever known. Her brother, Klaus played by Liam Aiken is extraordinarily well read. And their baby sister, Sunny is very good at biting things.
After the children’s parents perish in a terrible fire, they are placed in the care of the diabolical actor Count Olaf played by Carrey. Olaf hatches one outrageous plot after another to steal the children’s vast fortune. He is determined not to let anybody stand in his way — not Uncle Monty (Billy Connolly), not Aunt Josephine played by oscar winner Meryl Streep and certainly not the children themselves.
Coming back to the marketing and promotional activity US beverage company Sunny D released a new beverage Lemony Snicket Limeade. The blend of sweet and sour is available in Wal-Mart stores across the US. Additionally, Sunny D launched an online instant win sweepstakes for kids Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Prizes. Kids played to win prizes including a trip for five to any Paramount Park, a set of Lemony Snicket books, video games, board games, magic 8 balls and DVDs.
US food maker Kraft did a tie up with the the film for their luncheables line of products. Kraft featured film tie-ins with several of their products in a multi-million dollar ad campaign on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. In a the capaign A Series of Snicket Snippets, every Lunchables Fun Fuel and Fun Pack box contained a quick chapter from a never-before-seen side story about the Baudelaire orphans that introduced customers to the characters from the film. An Even More Monstrous Story for Mega Kids delivered an entirely different story, focused on Count Olaf and printed on mini-booklets in every Lunchables product.
MAM
De Beers launches ‘A Diamond Is Forever’ centenary book
Visual retrospective traces 100 years of iconic slogan and cultural impact.
MUMBAI: De Beers just dropped a century’s worth of sparkle between two covers because when a four-word line becomes forever, even the book needs a forever title. De Beers Group has released A Diamond Is Forever: The Making of a Cultural Icon 1926–2026, a landmark visual retrospective celebrating 100 years of shaping the modern perception of natural diamonds. The book traces how the brand transformed diamonds from elite heirlooms into universal symbols of love, commitment and personal achievement, with rare archival material, campaign highlights and cultural commentary.
At its core is the legendary 1947 slogan “A Diamond Is Forever,” penned by N.W. Ayer copywriter Frances Gerety. The four words redefined diamonds as eternal promises, earning the title of the 20th century’s greatest advertising slogan from Advertising Age in 1999. The book explores how this idea and others like the “Two Months’ Salary” guideline and the “Right Hand Ring” influenced social rituals, female independence and consumer behaviour worldwide, including in India, where diamonds shifted from gold-centric traditions to emotionally resonant milestones.
Beyond marketing, it showcases collaborations with artists like Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and Raoul Dufy, alongside icons such as Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. Later campaigns, including the 1990s “Shadows” series set to Karl Jenkins’ Palladio, reinforced diamonds as timeless and unique. The narrative also addresses today’s focus on provenance, sustainability and ethical stewardship, positioning natural diamonds as symbols of both enduring love and responsible luxury.
The book arrives as De Beers marks a century of innovation in luxury marketing, from the Great Depression to the era of conscious consumption, offering a rare window into one of advertising’s most enduring brand stories.
In a world where trends fade fast, De Beers didn’t just sell diamonds, it sold forever, and now it’s bound the proof in pages that will outlast even the hardest carat.
