The Hitman's Bodyguard

Objective

Lionsgate launched an interactive promotional campaign ahead of the August 2017 release of the action-comedy film 'The Hitman's Bodyguard,' targeting audiences over 25 years old with a focus on male viewers. The campaign aimed to extend promotional reach beyond traditional marketing channels by creating an immersive recruitment simulation that embodied the film's themes of elite security and protection.

Solution

Thinkingbox created an interactive website simulating recruitment into a fictional executive protection agency (AAA), where users answered a series of questions assessing their aptitude in safety, discretion, and preparation. A chatbot served as the main interaction point, progressively unlocking film content with each conversation. The core mechanic was a personality-based assessment that determined AAA certification status. Motion graphics and film clips were integrated into the experience. Social extensions on Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat replicated the chatbot functionality and web interface, distributing the experience across platforms to maximize reach and engagement.

Results

The campaign received recognition with an Awwwards Honorable Mention in August 2017. Community voting on Awwwards showed 15 participant votes ranging from 6.0 to 10.0 across design, usability, creativity, and content criteria. The underlying film grossed $183 million worldwide; however, specific engagement metrics for the interactive campaign itself—such as total participants, session duration, or conversion to ticket sales—were not publicly disclosed.