By Carson Alexander, @deca.carson | Memphis University DECA, TN
This past summer, the U.S. box office reached $4.765 billion, narrowly surpassing the previous summer record that stood for over ten years. With hits such epas “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” “Michael,” and “The Odyssey,” movie theaters across the nation saw the first season ever in which the four summer months exceeded $1 billion dollars.
With the masterful direction of experienced executives like Christopher Nolan and jaw-dropping performances from stars like Tom Holland, Matt Damon, and Jaafar Jackson, theater-goers showed up in droves thanks to not only the big names on screen but also a secret ingredient every DECA member knows well: marketing and presentation strategy.
The biggest three theatrical successes of 2026 demonstrate three different approaches to modern marketing: leveraging an established brand, creating an experiential product, and turning an audience into a community.
Here’s what DECA members can learn from the triad of blockbusters:
Before Brand New Day opened on July 31, 2026, millions of people already knew what the product was. Producers and marketing managers alike recognized that there was no need to spend all of their resources explaining who Spider-Man is, but rather to spend them creating anticipation for this particular Spider-Man story.
Opening to about $360.1 million domestically and $932 million worldwide in its opening weekend, Brand New Day picks up where its predecessor, No Way Home, left off, building on the suspense viewers and fans had been left with in December of 2021. Current worldwide gross is about $2.50 billion, including approximately $950.6 million domestic and $1.545 billion international. To achieve such numbers, multiple campaigns and strategies were used, leveraging timing, intentionality in social media platforming, and interactive products.
For example, Sony Pictures Italy used Tiktok’s TopView placement to move audiences from awareness toward ticket intent, producing a 63% higher engagement rate than the cited EU Tiktok industry benchmarks. Additionally, Samsung created the Spidey Tracker, an interactive campaign that extended the movie’s world beyond the theater through fan sightings, cast appearances, content drops, and Easter eggs. Even Takis, traditionally a food manufacturer, ran a Spider-Man partnership involving limited-edition packaging, influencers, retail activations, and ticket incentives. All of these companies, cognizant of the awareness Spider-Man had, made their goal to turn detection into desire, leading to the promotion and viewership for the highest-grossing movie of all time at the North American box office.
Coming in second this past summer with a whopping $1.45 billion worldwide, Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey movie directed by Christopher Nolan was released July 17, 2026, to an opening day of $264.1 worldwide. Though Nolan’s reputation itself functioned as part of the marketing, the unique production technique of the film shined through as the greatest advertising channel. Filmed entirely using IMAX film cameras (the first theatrical film to do so), the movie generated $485 million in IMAX, accounting for about 30% of its worldwide box office. Representing about 23% of its domestic opening weekend, IMAX essentially said, “the way you experience this product is part of what makes it valuable,” showing that the product isn’t always the entire experience.
Though not among the top three highest-grossing movies of the summer, Michael had an audience avidly seen by its producers. Before Lionsgate had even released a poster or trailer, the private “@michaelmovie” Instagram account had already accumulated 20,000 followers. Seeing this, Lionsgate and other companies decided to capitalize on this momentum beyond simple advertising, choosing to build things fans could participate in. Moonwalk flash mobs, live DJs, holograms, and short-form content reached over 20 global cities and generated more than 36.1 million views. Though they originally expected the social following to skew toward older fans, Lionsgate discovered significant Gen Z interest, influencing their emphasis on community and shareable experiences. Commercially, Michael became enormous, passing $1 billion in July as Lionsgate’s first film to reach that milestone.
Spider-Man represented something fans couldn’t miss, leveraging its existing audience and showing that starting from zero isn't necessary if your brand already has equity. The Odyssey sold something audiences needed to experience, teaching that your product must create exclusivity, limited availability, and something customers can’t replicate at home. And, last but not least, Michael sold something fans could participate in, aiming to give people something worth sharing. In an era when almost everything is available on demand, marketers (and DECA students) have to give consumers a reason to choose experiences now.
So, who wants to watch a movie?
