Sydney Sweeney became a successful producer at a young age when she co-produced her smash hit rom-com Anyone But You. The actress proved her business savvy by crafting a highly specialized marketing campaign for the film. This unexpectedly included reportedly deliberately teasing the public regarding linkup rumors with co-star Glen Powell.
It was a bold strategy built upon months of rumors swirling around Sweeney and Powell. Social media was agog with speculations, even in the months following the release of the movie. Much digital ink was spilled dissecting the interactions between the stars during promos and in behind-the-scenes features. In the end the tactic paid off, and the marketing team behind the movie proved they knew what they were doing with the film’s publicity campaign.
Sydney Sweeney And Glen Powell’s Shakespearean Romance
At the time when Anyone But You was about to release, the film industry had practically declared the rom-com genre dead. Most new rom-coms were being relegated to streaming upon release or making paltry amounts at the box office.
Things did not look too promising for Anyone But You, which was yet another modern adaptation of a Shakespeare story starring lesser-known stars in the lead. But Sydney Sweeney was determined to prove the critics wrong by using her media acumen to give audiences a reason to go to the theater and watch her film.
A Strong Marketing Campaign For Anyone But You
And so began a blistering marketing campaign for the movie, spearheaded by Sydney Sweeney herself. The actress explained her deep involvement in an interview with The New York Times:
“I was on every call. I was in text group chats. I was probably keeping everybody over at Sony marketing and distribution awake at night because I couldn’t stop with ideas.”
Despite this being her first rodeo as a big-time movie producer, Sydney Sweeney had strong ideas for making the picture’s arrival known to theatergoers. Aside from attending talk shows and giving interviews to promote Anyone But You, social media was filled with stories and anecdotes about the making of the movie and the charismatic young stars at the center of it all.
The Rumors Surrounding Sydney Sweeny And Glen Powell
Gradually, a narrative started being developed around the movie online. Fans were speculating about a possible affair between Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney despite the duo being publicly involved with other people at the time. These rumors kept the movie at the forefront of social media trending lists, giving Anyone But You a large amount of attention before the first trailer for the movie ever even dropped.
As it turns out, the marketing team along with Sydney Sweeney were not only aware of the rumors but also saw them as a good way to get attention from audiences. The film’s leading man Glen Powell also understood the assignment, as he explained in the same interview:
“The two things that you have to sell a rom-com are fun and chemistry. Sydney and I have a ton of fun together, and we have a ton of effortless chemistry. That’s people wanting what’s on the screen off the screen, and sometimes you just have to lean into it a bit — and it worked wonderfully.”
As Powell mentions, the hype around Anyone But You revolved almost entirely around the chemistry between himself and Sweeney. This provided a huge leg up to the film during its run in theaters, with audiences being curious to finally see the much-talked chemistry between the actors on the big screen.
Anyone But You Works Wonders At The Box Office
To say that the tactic worked well would be an understatement. Anyone But You surpassed all expectations with a steady ascent at the international box office over several months. It outstripped every modest estimate that had been set for the film’s outing before release by a wide margin.
After the resounding success, the team behind Anyone But You took a final playful jab at the rumors surrounding Syndey Sweeney and Glen Powell when Sweeney hosted SNL. The actress openly addressed the rumors surrounding her and Powell, before revealing her real-life fiance was present in the audience. Then a quick camera cutaway showed Powell sitting in the crowd instead.
