Avengers: Endgame has finally hit the sunny shores of Singapore and while several companies such as Uniqlo and Adidas has shown us their collaborations with Marvel Studios, several other brands have taken to using Endgame to help market their own products. Unofficially.
Here is a list of our “favourite” unofficial and unauthorised Endgame-related marketing endeavours. Some are pretty cringe-worthy while others have gone above and beyond in their attempt to market their product. Well, #WhateverItTakes right?
We rate them based on how creative their campaigns are, as well as how much they made us cringe.
Do not worry, there will be no spoilers for Avengers: Endgame in this article. You can read on worry-free.
Kemono Chicken
First on the list is Kemono Chicken, a food and beverage company that specialises in selling ‘healthy yet delicious Japanese roasted chicken’. On their Instagram @kemonochicken, they often hold contests to award their followers with a star. For their Avengers: Endgame campaign, their followers have to simply earn three stars and they will get to walk away with a pair of tickets to catch Endgame in theatres.
Some of the contests they held include them asking their followers for help naming a frankly terrifying looking chicken hammer modelled after Mjolnir. Another involved them getting their followers to name a gauntlet with the face of chicken where the Soul Stone would usually be.
Cringe-worth Rating: 4/5
Creativity Rating: 2/5
Aeras Acne Solution
Aeras Acne Solution is as its name states, an acne specialist clinic where customers experiencing issues with their skin can go to seek professional help. On their Instagram @aerasacnesolutions, they have posted a few photos on their Instastory, stylishly edited to look like the promotional posters released by Marvel with the phrase ‘Avenge The Fallen’, only this time with the words ‘healthy skin’ tacked on.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 5/5
Creativity Rating: 0/5
Skyscanner
Those who travel often will be familiar with Skyscanner, a website that helps you search for cheap flights across multiple airlines. The service is also known for periodically holding giveaways on their Instagram @skyscannersg.
In a since-deleted Instagram post, Skyscanner held a small contest on their Instagram to give out a pair of premiere tickets to catch Avengers: Endgame. In their post, they told their followers to “#Endgame their search for tickets” which sounds a tad bit weird but we applaud Skyscanner for their attempt.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 3/5
Creativity Rating: 1/5
Nin Jiom
Thanos might have the Infinity Stone but Nin Jiom, a Hong Kong company specialising in traditional Chinese herbal remedies, has the Infinity Herbal Candies. In an interesting twist, it seems that the herbal sweets Nin Jiom released corresponds nicely to the colours of the six infinity stones. While you won’t be snapping off half of the universe’s population anytime soon with the herbal candies, at least you will be able to soothe your sore throat.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 2/5
Creativity Rating: 4/5
True Chiropractic Group
True Chiropractic Group understands that even the best superheroes out there can suffer from body pains. On Instagram, the chiropractic provider had movie tickets to Endgame to give away and all their followers had to do with simply send them a message, telling them the top five factors which led to their body aches. While we do not know what ailments have been sent to the company’s mailbox, we do know that the biggest cause of ‘heart pain’ amongst most Marvel fans will be due to Endgame.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 4/5
Creativity Rating: 1/5
Crusty’s Singapore
One can never really have enough movie ticket giveaway. Crusty’s Singapore who specialises in the sale of Salted Egg Fish Skin, a popular snack in Singapore, held a giveaway for their followers. To participate, their followers will simply have to like and share the giveaway post, then comment on the said post with a photo of their receipt. A smart move to help drive up sales of their product but other than that, it is just like every other giveaway out there.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 2/5
Creativity Rating: 1/5
Fruit Tree
Fruits are an important source of vitamin C and it is also the focus of Fruit Tree’s Endgame-related Instagram post. On it, Thanos’ Infinity gauntlet is featured but where one will normally expect the Infinity Stones, it is instead replaced by fruits. We guess maintaining a healthy body is the first step any hero should take when getting ready to fight the Mad Titan and what better way to stay healthy than to eat lots of fruits, or in this case drink lots of fruit juice.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 3/5
Creativity Rating: 3/5
Changi Recommends
It should not cost an arm and a leg to get Wi-Fi overseas. Changi Recommends illustrates this best with a variation of the iconic conversation between Gamora and Thanos, where Gamora asks the Titan what did it cost to achieve what he did, and Thanos replies with “Just $2.25 a day for a ChangiWifi Router”. It is a silly way of engaging not just those looking to travel but also Marvel fans, harkening back to the events of Avengers: Infinity War. Now if only our heroes won’t need to pay an arm and leg to save the universe in Endgame.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 5/5
Creativity Rating: 2/5
Fave
Touted as a ‘personal companion for finding the best deals’, Fave’s Endgame promotion gave their users a lot more reason to spend their money beyond collecting premium Endgame merchandises. On their app, Fave ran a 30% cashback promotion on non-dining deals, all their users had to do was input the code ‘Endgame’. They also ran several Endgame flash sales with up to 50% cashback. Of course, the items were not Marvel or Endgame related but you just might want to buy a dining voucher to cheer yourself up once you are done watching Endgame.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 1/5
Creativity Rating: 1/5
ShopBack
If you never thought you will be able to save some money when purchasing movie tickets for Endgame then think again. ShopBack’s Endgame campaign lets you earn back 4% of what you spent on tickets for Endgame. Though this campaign is only exclusive to tickets purchased through ShopBack for Cathay Cineplex.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 1/5
Creativity Rating: 1/5
QuuBe
On the day tickets went on sale in Singapore, many who did not manage to purchase a ticket resorted to checking online for second-hand ticket sales. Unfortunately, several unscrupulous individuals started selling their tickets for exorbitant prices, many as high as a few hundred. QuuBe, an online marketplace centred around blockchain technology recognised that and held a giveaway for Golden Village Gold Class Tickets, highlighting in their giveaway post that rather than spending hundreds on a standard ticket, you might want to instead try to win a pair of free Gold Class tickets.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 1/5
Creativity Rating: 1/5
Carousell
We are sure Marie Kondo will approve of Carousell’s Endgame campaign, #EndgameYourExcess. Carousell users who chose to take part simply had to list out as many items they wish to sell, and include the aforementioned hashtag, to stand a chance to win a Dyson vacuum cleaner as well as a pair of tickets to catch Endgame. Sure it might not be universe-decimating levels of excess but it is always good to start small.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 3/5
Creativity Rating: 4/5
Swensen’s
To celebrate the launch of Endgame, as well as their 40th anniversary, Swenson’s held a giveaway in which they had up to 200 pairs of Golden Village Endgame tickets to be won. Then, once the winners are done watching the movie, they can always head on down to Swenson’s for some much-needed chocolate ice cream to cheer up.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 1/5
Creativity Rating: 1/5
Qoo10
You have your normal everyday sales, and then you have Qoo10’s Marvelous Sale guaranteed to help you save money with plenty of Marvelous Deals. Qoo10’s Endgame campaign featured not only plenty of deals but also a giveaway for five lucky winners to walk away with a pair of tickets to Golden Village’s Gold Class to catch Endgame.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 1/5
Creativity Rating: 2/5
Kit Cat International
Mark the end of your cat’s pickiness with what it eats with Kit Cat. Much like Nin Jiom, Kit Cat’s line of cat food just so happens to share the same colour with the Infinity Stones. On their Instagram, many photos of adorable cats can be found posing with Kit Cat’s line of products, some can even be seen eagerly lapping up the food. While none of the cats is as adorable as Goose, it is easy to see why Kit Cat is so confident that they will be able to put an end to picky cats.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 3/5
Creativity Rating: 2/5
Orchard Road Presbyterian Church
Orchard Road Presbyterian Church is no stranger to pop culture references, having made a poster following the launch of Infinity War last year. This time, the church is back at it again with their poster inspired by Endgame. The poster features the now iconic Avengers logo with the words ‘Almighty Endgame’ in big bold letters across the poster, with a quote from the book of Ephesians underneath the header. Though more than a little cringe-worthy, it is definitely heartening to see different religions being open to making pop culture references on their banners.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 5/5
Creativity Rating: 0/5
DBS
Whereas most other campaigns on this list were targeted to help promote a specific product, DBS’s Endgame campaign is more along the line of helping you save the environment, with their list of must-haves sustainable items to bring into the theatre when you are watching Endgame. The list features items such as a handkerchief for when you need to wipe your tears away, and a metal straw to use for drinking your sorrows away. Though we do not recommend drinking too much water as the movie is three hours long after all.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 4/5
Creativity Rating: 2/5
Warner Bros. Pictures
#AvengeTheFallen was the tagline used by Marvel to help promote Endgame, with them posting up several posters detailing who survived the snap and who didn’t. Warner Bros. Pictures took a leaf from Marvel and made an ‘Avenge The Children’ poster for their horror movie The Curse of La Llorona, with the titular La Llorona pictured mid-scream. Scary for sure, but is it really creative? We don’t think so.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 2/5
Creativity Rating: 3/5
Republic of Singapore Air Force
The MCU might have the Avengers, but Singapore has the RSAF. For Labour Day on May 1, the RSAF posted on a their Facebook page a poster based on the official poster for Endgame, and features a number of staff from the RSAF as key members of the Avengers. The poster while fun simply comes off a tad too cheesy with all the faces we do not recognize looking stoically into the distance. Props to them for adding a dog to the poster though! You can never go wrong with an adorable dog on your poster.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 4/5
Creativity Rating: 3/5
Durex
We have saved arguably the best Endgame campaign for last. In a series of Facebook posts, Durex shared a few posters inspired by Endgame, advertising how well their condoms work. One came with the caption “It ends here. It always does.” Another featured a creative use of the Avenger’s font, with the phrase ‘Avoid leaks’ succinctly plastered across the poster. Durex’s posters are simple, and yet effective in showing off what they wish to convey.
Cringe-worthy Rating: 1/5
Creativity Rating: 5/5
Avengers: Endgame is currently showing in theatres! Read on all things Avengers: Endgame here.
Germaine is a fun-sized introvert who loves nothing better than sleeping in on rainy days. She can be found reading fanfiction and manga while still waiting for her Hogwarts acceptance letter. It’ll come eventually.
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