A Ghost Story is a film that follows one ghost's journey as he finds his place in infinity. A film with such a unique premise deserved an unorthodox campaign. So we turned A Ghost Story into A Ghost Store, where we could subvert expectations of a traditional online store, and of course, give people sheets, extending the reach of the film's iconic ghost. We also set out to create a voice for the ghost and expand on the film's more philosophical and metaphysical themes.
Introducing, A Ghost Store, an online shop that offers musings on the nature of time, a one-size-fits-all product, and immortality. Explore the collection, read the product descriptions, and purchase a sheet to be shipped to your home. However, rather than paying with money, visitors pay with their time, 8 minutes to be exact. When "paying", visitors are immersed in a WebGL experience that provides a glimpse into what the world looks like from under the sheet, along with warnings to stay on the mortal plane.
To build initial buzz for the store, we sent press custom gift cards containing promo codes redeemable for a sheet.
To get the shots we needed to create the product site, we shot and directed a special shoot with the ghost himself. Footage was used across the site, in promotional videos and the social campaigns. The online experience also featured a livestream of the brick and mortar pop-up in New York.
Store
The pop-up shop was a real world locale, where those interested in crossing over could try on a sheet and take photos with friends. The store's became a physical extension of the site experience.
Banners
Omnipresent banners haunted site visitors after their first visit, our ghost requesting they come back, as they explored other sites online. He's a bit clingy.
Social
The social campaign sought to bring life and personality to our ghost protagonist through custom videos that provided one-on-one outreach to vocal fans. Custom content was 50% meditative thoughts on time, 50% reactive one-offs. Unexpected content, videos, and David Bowie references made the campaign an exciting and relevant space, extending the reach of the film.
Thousands of participants tried to cross over, in the end, only a few were lucky enough to transcend the physical plane (and receive a sheet). The site and the press it generated extended the reach of this unique and unusual film from A24.
Ultimately, the result was a thoughtful look at what it means to live forever, hundreds of ghosts descending on the world, a slew of press, tweets, and articles, and most importantly, broadened awareness for A Ghost Story.
