This was Crunchyroll’s first global theatrical release—and a major milestone. Tasked with driving marketing efforts across every region (except Japan), we faced high expectations, strict licensor guardrails, and the challenge of unifying 31 international markets. The mission: deliver record-breaking box office performance while engaging core fans, casual viewers, and arthouse audiences—without compromising creative quality or IP integrity.
Challenge
As a lifelong Dragon Ball fan, it was surreal to be entrusted with the first global theatrical release under the Crunchyroll banner — a chance to prove we could deliver a box office hit without losing what made this seminal title special to millions of fans.
Tasked with marketing in every region except Japan, we needed to deliver record-breaking box office results while navigating strict licensor requirements and coordinating across 31 international markets. The stakes: engage core fans, casual viewers, and arthouse enthusiasts without compromising the IP’s integrity, timelines, or creative excellence.
Strategy
Our approach centered on developing a globally adaptable creative asset suite, paired with an operations model that could manage thousands of deliverables and align every regional launch with precision and speed.
Execution
- Process Optimization: Formed a dedicated task force to refine workflows, doubling the speed of both internal and external approval cycles. This process became a repeatable framework for high-priority theatrical releases.
- Adaptive Leadership: Faced with limited internal resources, we leveraged Sony Pictures Entertainment’s global infrastructure to fill capability gaps, drawing on their expertise to scale our execution.
- Impact Delivery: Launched a cohesive, multi-market campaign that contributed to a historic box office performance—proving Crunchyroll could execute at the highest level of theatrical marketing.
Results
- Revenue Growth: $97.2M in worldwide box office; #1 U.S. opening weekend ($20.1M), breaking a 23-year anime record.
- Market Expansion: 11M new Crunchyroll trial sign-ups; 35B impressions and 358M engagements.
- Efficiency Gains: 90% on-time delivery rate with 10% cost savings on a $6M budget.
Learnings
- Strategic Insight: Balancing licensor constraints with agile creative execution is key to scaling global marketing without compromising quality.
- Leadership Takeaway: Agility was essential. This unique opportunity prompted a full overhaul of our go-to-market strategy, resulting in an end-to-end roadmap that improved efficiency, scalability, and creative delivery.
- The campaign not only elevated Crunchyroll’s brand, but also set a new operational standard for anime theatrical releases.
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