Did they get ya? Did ya fall for the clever marketing scheme that WB concocted that made you think a trailer for “Aquaman 2” was coming, but PSYCH! It’s just “Shazam!” You idiots!
Warner Bros. has decided to capitalize on the April 1 date (you know, April Fools’ Day) to try to trick folks into watching an ad for “Shazam” by showing that it’s actually “Aquaman 2.” Now, from a purely marketing stand-point, bravo WB! You have found a way to tie in “Shazam” to the $1 billion behemoth that is Jason Momoa’s “Aquaman.” However, you could have done it a little more cleverly, no?
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The 30-second ad is clearly just for mobile devices (probably see it in your Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter streams), but there’s no new footage. No funny interaction between Momoa and “Shazam” star Zachary Levi. Just a fake title card and some old “Shazam” marketing stuff. Meh. Considering Google and about a million other companies (hell, even Tinder got in on the game this year) putting a lot of thought and effort into their own April Fools’ Day gags, I just expect more, that’s all.
I guess if you got tricked into thinking that WB created a trailer for “Aquaman 2,” which won’t even hit theaters until December 2022, you deserve to have your time wasted. And you probably do owe it to the studio to buy a ticket to “Shazam.” And judging by the mostly-positive reviews, you might actually enjoy yourself!
“Shazam!” hits theaters this Friday.
