Letterboxd: The Social Network for Cinephiles
Here, we rate films — and launch content partnerships with The Academy for the 95th Oscars
The days of pandemic lockdown brought personal rediscovery, one of which involved films and a new habit of listing down what I laughed to, cried to, and was inspired by. I credit Letterboxd for these little online mementoes, and for building a global social network for grass-roots film discussion and discovery. Launched in 2011 and sometimes dubbed as “GoodReads for movies”, the platform allowed me to experiment with films by revisiting old favorites, discovering new ones, and leaving silly one-liner reviews as a simple matter of expression.
‘Expression’ in many forms is what unifies a vastly diverse community of film lovers — all eight million registered users in over 200 countries, making it crystal clear that a partnership with The Academy is the sensible step forward. Announced recently, The Academy and Letterboxd will collaborate on exclusive digital content connected to the Oscars with different segments, from Nominee luncheon features, guest appearances on the “The Letterboxd Show” podcast, and Oscar-themed series of Showdowns hosted on the website.
To encapsulate the drive for this partnership, I quote Letterboxd co-founder Matthew Buchanan:
“It’s incredibly validating to be able to work with the most iconic organization in the motion picture industry, a team who sees the value in the community of film lovers we’ve assembled and nurtured over the past decade. Oscar-nominated films form the backbone of so many Letterboxd lists, and the annual ceremony is so often the starting point for many a cinephile’s journey, that it feels completely natural to welcome the Academy into the fold. A thrilling moment for the whole team at Letterboxd HQ.”
Through a marketer’s lens, I highlighted three keywords mentioned which ties to the value of this strategic partnership.
Community, Community, Community
Say it three times and it appears in every brand’s mission-vision statement. In a Harvard Business Review article by Richard Millington, brand communities aren’t likened to ‘cult brands’. He defined them as online platforms where members ask questions and share advice with one another — right where Letterboxd is. This usually implies authenticity in trends, sentiment, and insights which are markers for making a brand trusted, searched for, and referenced by audiences with similar interests.
It Just Comes Naturally
With authenticity follows actual followers and they are amongst the key metrics to successful digital campaigns. Another strong suite to the partnership is a natural connection between generations of film lovers: the traditional cinema goers and critics that comprise The Academy and the new wave of Letterboxd film curators with multiple sources from streaming services that access a catalog of genre-films from indie, mainstream, to arthouse. A mesh of these audiences makes for interesting and diverse content that can span the test of time by increasing reach, brand recognition, and emotional connection.
A Cinephile’s Personal Journey
It starts with the platform. In a world predominantly lived online, Letterboxd is the modern version of tuning in to your TV for the Oscars and a little extra more. Audiences get to experience films in different mediums of communication — the multichannel execution of the Oscars partnership with podcasts and interactive content attest to this sense of diversity. Most importantly it embodies a community-first business, a place of discourse and curation which brings a personal touch that people look for even in the digital space.
