Unless you spent Christmas hiding under a rock, it was difficult to miss the Marty Supreme marketing campaign – a film about an ambitious ping-pong player’s pursuit of fame and fortune in 1950s New York.

While on paper, the film might not sound captivating, its marketing gave exactly the opposite impression.

Everywhere you looked, orange outfits, branded blimps, and unhinged viral videos of Timothée Chalamet shouting “Schwap!” invaded our screens and our senses. The campaign made us giggle just as much as it made our minds boggle. Most importantly, it grabbed our attention.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Marty Supreme had accrued $8.6 million (£6.3 million) by 6 January in the UK, smashing records as the highest-grossing A24-distributed film ever at the UK box office. It has also secured nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor (arguably helped by the marketing buzz).

The film’s innovative approach has helped revitalise cinema marketing at a time when streaming has steadily been pulling viewers away from the big screen. And as a cinema purist, I am eternally grateful.

But what can it teach us about contemporary content marketing, particularly for the financial services profession? Read on to discover four lessons financial planners can take from Marty Supreme into 2026.

Lesson 1 – Content shouldn’t just read well, it needs to look good too

One of the campaign’s most memorable moments was a video posted on Chalamet’s Instagram, vaguely titled “video93884728.mp4”. In it, he spends 18 minutes pitching eccentric ideas for how to visually brand the film.

Inspired by the hot pink of the Barbie movie, he proposes a signature Marty Supreme “rusty” or “corroded” orange.

Then, he suggests painting the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower in this colour, as well as launching a fleet of Marty Supreme blimps that will rain down ping-pong balls on unsuspecting fans.

While this unfortunately isn’t feasible – nor would it be effective! – for financial planners and advisers, it underscores a core principle of content marketing: visual appeal matters.

There’s no point in presenting excellent writing in an unreadable font, on a plain webpage, or with an irrelevant (or low-quality) image. If your content doesn’t look appealing, readers are more likely to skim it – or ignore it entirely.

When creating content, always ask:

• Is it eye-catching?
• Does it feel professional and trustworthy?
• Do the visuals set the right tone?

Remember, making people want to read your writing can be just as important as writing it well.

Lesson 2 – Your writing should inform and engage

Successful content doesn’t just drive traffic, sales, or conversions. It provides value.

The Marty Supreme campaign didn’t simply tell us a new Timothée Chalamet film was coming out. It entertained us through visual spectacle and stunts, prioritising entertainment over traditional movie marketing tropes.

“video93884728.mp4” alone racked up over 14 million views on Instagram. Another video featuring Chalamet judging a mock talent show with internet star Druski gained over 10 million views on YouTube.

These videos were successful because they were enjoyable first and promotional second. This established a positive relationship with audiences so that, when the film finally hit cinemas, people were eager to buy tickets.

The same principle applies in financial services. If your content is genuinely helpful and engaging, you build a stronger relationship with your audience. You’re no longer just a service provider – you become a trusted authority who offers guidance, clarity, and reassurance.

And when your writing focuses on being relatable, useful, and enjoyable, it not only encourages readers to keep reading but also incentivises them to use your services.

Lesson 3 – Don’t underestimate the power of a strong hook

Since the advent of social media, it has become harder to capture attention. The Independent reports that the average attention span has dropped from 12 to 8 seconds, meaning that marketers have a smaller window than ever to persuade audiences to keep reading.

How did Marty Supreme rise to this challenge? By plastering the window with content. Social media was flooded with viral videos and headlines that grabbed our attention quickly and consistently.

Much of that was driven by Chalamet, who leaned into the persona of his onscreen character Marty Mausser. Borrowing his trademark cocky self-assurance during interviews, Chalamet praised his own performance over his co-stars, even going so far as to imply a future Oscar was on the cards (which it now is).

For content marketing, the takeaway is simple: you need a good hook.

A hook can be a headline or an opening line that immediately grabs interest and pulls the reader in. It could be a:

• Question
• Bold statement
• Surprising statistic
• Relatable problem

If you catch interest quickly, your content is more likely to be read, and the value of your services is more likely to land. However, if your hook falls flat in that eight-second window, your reader will move on.

Lesson 4 – Include Gen Z in your marketing strategy

One of Marty Supreme’s biggest impacts was drawing young people back to the cinema. How? By speaking their language.

Instead of opting for typical TV talk shows or straightforward interviews, the film diverted most of its marketing budget to the digital space, advertising online and across social media.

Suffice it to say, it caught the attention of the most prevalent digital consumers, Gen Z, who were drawn to Chalamet’s oddball and erratic behaviour. As more videos of Chalamet went viral, so too did the digital discourse around the film increase. When the film finally hit the big screen, it was Gen Z who flocked to the cinema in droves.

However, while your clients are unlikely to be Gen Z, it might be surprising to know that writing content with younger people in mind can help boost engagement with older clients.

By covering topics that appeal to younger audiences, like getting started with ISAs or understanding the basic principles of investing, you indirectly open a dialogue with your clients, imparting useful knowledge that they can share with their children or grandchildren.

And when you write content that supports the people your clients care about, not just the individual paying your fees, it strengthens trust in your services and reinforces your value.

Be more Marty

From bold visuals to Gen Z-first marketing, Marty Supreme offers plenty of lessons about how to create content that cuts through the waffle of unengaging campaigns.

If you’d like a more comprehensive understanding of how to market your content successfully, get in touch with Yardstick today.

We specialise in working with financial advisers and planners, creating human-driven content that makes complex financial topics engaging and informative. We write articles, blogs, social media, and everything else your business needs to build an effective content marketing strategy.

If you’d like to know more, email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8695 300 today.