The Unmatched Brilliance of The Dark Knight’s Viral Marketing Campaign
In 2008, “The Dark Knight” was the highly awaited sequel to Christopher Nolan’s critically and financially successful “Batman Begins.” For Nolan, making a sequel was an uncharted territory as he had never done one before, and initially, another Batman film wasn’t even on his radar. However, once the production began, there was significant pressure, particularly due to early concerns about Heath Ledger’s casting as the Joker. Since Ledger was the first actor to step into the role following Jack Nicholson’s memorable portrayal in 1989’s Batman, there were many doubters, including both fans and critics. To combat these negative sentiments and to keep Ledger’s character as the Joker under wraps, one of the most extensive and iconic viral marketing campaigns was launched.