The Temptation of Teaser Posters

I love teaser posters.

The first glimpse of a movie’s logo or its main character are exciting enough, but the sight of a clever tagline or a release date adds that extra spark. Teasers indeed and I adore them. Sometimes, I like them even more than the final posters.

As teaser posters play a key role in a film’s marketing, it is not uncommon for them to appear 12 months before the theatrical release, sometimes even before any stars have been attached to the film. Teaser posters are meant to tantalise. Studios want moviegoers to engage in their next big feature long before production has even started.

I remember first being drawn in by some cracking teaser posters in the 1980′s. These days things are a little different. Although they are just as creative, they simply aren’t as effective. The surprise and mystery that once provided the thrill of suspense is forever lost. Why? Well, we now have the Internet.

When I first saw the teaser poster for Tim Burton’s Batman, starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, I was shocked, I remember just standing and staring, wishing there was more.  It was ever so simple, yet exceptionally effective. I knew the film was in production, who was starring in it, who was directing it, but that was it. Any other information was scarce. No plot summary, no secret set photos and absolutely no spoilers. As this was pre Internet, secrets were much easier to keep. Nowadays, you can pretty much find out anything you want to know about a film even before it’s in the can.

Although teaser posters don’t quite hold the same mystery and intrigue that they used to for me, I still get a childish wave of excitement when I see a good one. I have to resist the temptation to jump online and find out more. For at least 60 seconds anyway…….

The allure of the teaser poster will always excite. Here are a few of my favourites, old and new.

Movies by Design | Mark Wassmer writes for Live for Films.