An Editor's Note from 2025
This article is a time capsule. Originally written in 2014, it details a search campaign strategy for a major film release. During that era, I managed the high-stakes entertainment accounts at Yahoo—a responsibility reserved for top performers—where this level of structural precision was paramount. The principles of thematic keyword grouping discussed here are timeless. However, the tools and platform capabilities have evolved dramatically. This updated post preserves the original strategy as a case study and adds a modern layer of analysis to show how we approach such a campaign today.
The 2025 Perspective: What's Changed Since 2014?
The Google Ads landscape of 2014 was a world of manual control. Today, it's a partnership between human strategy and machine learning. Here's what's different:
- Automation & Smart Bidding: Manual CPC bidding was the default. Today, Smart Bidding strategies like Maximize Conversions and a heavy reliance on Performance Max campaigns are standard. The algorithm now handles real-time bid adjustments at a scale no human could match.
- The Rise of Video & Performance Max: While YouTube was big, its integration was separate. Today, a movie launch would be driven by a Performance Max campaign, using video assets from trailers as a primary driver to reach audiences across YouTube, Display, and Discovery feeds.
- Audience Layering Over Keywords: The 2014 strategy was almost entirely keyword-focused. In 2025, while keywords are still relevant, we build campaigns around audience signals—targeting users based on search history (in-market for movie tickets), website visits (remarketing), and offline behavior.
- Creative is the New Targeting: With automation managing bids and placements, the primary lever for performance has shifted to creative. We now test dozens of headline variations, descriptions, images, and video assets within Performance Max asset groups to find the winning combination.
The Movie Marketing Playbook: Search Across the Launch Cycle
Promoting a blockbuster film with search campaigns is a phased operation. The budget, keywords, and ad copy shift dramatically depending on the phase.
- Phase 1: Pre-Launch (Hype & Awareness): Starting 3-4 months out, the goal is to capture early interest. We target broad keywords related to the cast, franchise, and director, plus specific terms like "age of ultron trailer." The primary conversion goal is trailer views on YouTube or clicks to the official website.
- Phase 2: Launch Week (Tickets & Showtimes): In the week of release, the strategy pivots entirely to conversion. Bids are increased on high-intent keywords like "buy avengers tickets," "age of ultron showtimes near me," and "in theatres now." Ad copy is updated with direct calls-to-action to book tickets via partners like Fandango or local cinema sites.
- Phase 3: Post-Launch (Streaming & Merchandise): After the theatrical run, the campaign evolves again. We shift focus to capture demand for streaming ("watch age of ultron online," "avengers on disney+"), digital purchases, and merchandise. This long-tail phase can run for months or even years.
The following is the original 2014 campaign blueprint, enhanced for clarity. While the tools have changed, the strategic thinking behind structuring thousands of keywords into tight, thematic ad groups remains a core principle of effective PPC management.
A Look Back: The Original 2014 Campaign Blueprint
Managing PPC for major entertainment accounts requires a unique approach. Budgets are substantial, and production houses expect flawless execution to drive buzz for upcoming releases. For a film yet to be released, the primary goal isn't selling tickets but maximizing trailer views and building audience anticipation. The strategic core of these campaigns lies in how you structure them.
The Foundation: Meticulous Keyword Research & Grouping
With ad copy often provided directly by the studio to maintain a consistent message, the real craft is in keyword management. The first step was to build a comprehensive seed list of terms using resources like IMDb and Wikipedia to identify every relevant entity—from the main cast and director to the production companies and even the composers.
The goal was to take a massive volume of potential search terms and categorize them into tightly themed ad groups. A campaign must always have a "brand" ad group (e.g., avengers age of ultron, new avengers movie), but the real depth comes from thematic expansion.
Strategic Insight: Ensemble vs. Star Power
The structure changes based on the film. For a movie carried by a single star, like a hypothetical "Jeremy Renner movie," the actor's name is a primary keyword theme. But for an ensemble like *The Avengers*, the search volume for character names (Iron Man,Hulk) and the franchise (Marvel) often dwarfs that of the individual actors. The strategy must prioritize keywords that match how the audience actually thinks and searches.
Theme: Genre & Franchise
This captures broad interest from fans of the category.
- Example Keywords:
upcoming action films,marvel movies 2015,comic book movies,new sci fi movies.
Theme: Cast (Segmented)
Each major actor gets their own ad group to ensure ad copy is hyper-relevant. An ad group for "Cast_Scarlett Johansson" would target:
- Example Keywords:
scarlett johansson movie,new scarlett johansson film,black widow movie.
Theme: Characters (High Priority)
Character-based ad groups are often the highest volume converters, capturing the core fan base.
- Example Keywords:
iron man movie,captain america movie,thor movie,hulk movie,ultron villain.
Theme: Director & Production Crew
Finally, we target the creative forces behind the film, with ad groups for director Joss Whedon, writer Stan Lee, and production houses like Marvel Studios.
Essential Negative Keywords for Pre-Launch
While targeting relevant searches, we must also block irrelevant terms that would waste the budget. For a pre-release campaign, the negative keyword list is critical. Using Phrase Match, we would exclude:
"free""watch online""torrent""download""streaming""tickets"(This is flipped to a positive keyword during launch week)"games""t-shirt" or "merchandise"(Becomes a separate campaign post-launch)