Be sure to watch the official first trailer.
We all know the name Napoleon Bonaparte. Now, Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix are bringing his story to life in visceral, dynamic glory, with a new spectacle-filled action epic about the soldier/general/emperor/twice exiled French figure in Napoleon, coming exclusively to theaters on November 22. This film covers Napoleon's relentless journey to power; stages his biggest battles with an unflinching lens on the action and brutality of 19th century warfare; and explores the tangled web of Napoleon's life-long love and on-again, off-again power struggle with Josephine. Obviously, if you're a war film fanatic, a history buff, or a fan of Ridley Scott's films, Napoleon is likely already on your radar – but the audience for this movie doesn't end there, and the filmmakers want the Tongal community to ensure that filmgoers of all interests and backgrounds are excited about Napoleon as a must-see movie this fall, too.
Your task is to come up with concepts that can help market Napoleon beyond its core audience, using some kind of unique content, campaign, activation, or execution, across a wide variety of platforms. We're looking for concepts that feel as epic, buzzworthy, and as larger-than-life as the man himself. Napoleon might be historically set, but this isn't an ordinary period piece; it's a cinematic experience, so it's crucial that your concepts bring the conversation around Napoleon out of the history books and make it feel modern, relatable, and exciting – a crucial part of the zeitgeist – especially to younger audiences.
Your concepts should work beyond a single execution and inform a more holistic campaign that can involve multiple filmmakers, artists, and/or musicians. We are open to whatever format works best to bring your concepts to life: TikTok videos, live activations, prompts for artworks and original songs or entire art installations are all on the table. While you can explore history or more educational approaches in your concepts, your submissions should not feel like history lessons.
Think about how your concept can go beyond a single execution and work across multiple pieces and platforms in addition to how it ties back to the movie: for example, how could multiple artists approach your concept of crafting sculptures of Napoleon out of related items like Neapolitan ice cream or bi-corner hats? And how would you boost that sculpture with a TikTok video and social posts? What kind of unexpected creative point of view could you bring to a shot-for-shot remake of the trailer, and what kind of real-life component could be worked in to go beyond a standalone video execution? Without glorifying the brutality of warfare, what part of Napoleon's complex, storied life and the many hats he wore interest or inspire you, and what could that look like?
Napoleon is a prestigious, grand movie laden with war, politics, and a complex love story There is a sense of dry, quirky humor in the film that you can lean into, and clever concepts will likely go far. However, you should avoid becoming campy or irreverent; make Napoleon feel as fun and unexpected as it is epic and prestigious; this may be real history, but that doesn't mean it has to be predictable!
Check out more information in the Background, and for any questions or other project updates, check out the Project Forum.
TONE: Above all, epic. Modern, impactful, unexpected, clever, intriguing; prestigious, unmissable.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Adult moviegoers; Ridley Scott fans; fans of the cast, led by Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby
EXECUTIONAL MANDATORIES:
In order to be considered for this project, you must include the below materials in your pitch submission. For examples of effective pitches, check out this gallery.