After House of the Dragon's banners in NYC, Despicable Me 4 has Gru's scarf hanging in iconic locations

Despicable Me 4 is nearing its anticipated theatrical premiere, and the marketing team is leaving no stones unturned in a fascinating campaign that has recently taken a page out of the viral House of the Dragon promotion.

Recently, ahead of its second season's premiere, House of the Dragon released video footage of iconic New York City landmarks with blue and red banners depicting their loyalties to the sides in the civil war depicted in the show.

Now, Despicable Me 4 has also gone on a nearly similar marketing campaign, where they posted videos of iconic locations around the world, like the Statue of Liberty and London's Tower Bridge. The locations feature Gru's (played by Steve Carell) iconic scarf wrapped around them in what appear to be real videos.

However, like the viral House of the Dragon banners, these are computer-generated and only serve the purpose of marketing. This wave may grow further in the coming years as technology advances and the lines between the real and the virtual blur.

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Despicable Me 4 CGI campaign hints at the future of marketing

After House of the Dragon and Despicable Me 4 took up the same method of promotion, it seems that the reliance on digitally generated images and the influence of CGI are here to stay. For HOTD, the campaign came as a surprise, and many assumed that it was real.

This time, however, this was not the case, which is also evident from the reaction on social media platforms. However, this approach may become increasingly common in the coming years as reliance on computers and AI increases to produce more and more lifelike reproductions.

This is in sharp contrast to the over-the-top marketing gimmicks that came last year with Greta Gerwig's Barbie, which physically altered several things to promote the movie all around the world, which also included a life-size Barbie house.

However, with the widespread acceptance of computer-generated videos and images, marketing may shift more towards these easily achievable methods.

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What is Despicable Me 4 all about?

Illumination's fourth entry into the Despicable Me franchise, the movie serves as a direct sequel to Despicable Me 3. It also serves as the sixth overall installment in the franchise. Directed by Chris Renaud, the movie is set years after the third film and will continue to follow the story of Gru.

It will also see the introduction of Gru Jr., a new and exciting character who will also be important to the narrative in the fourth part. The official logline for the movie reads:

"Gru welcomes a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who's intent on tormenting his dad. However, their peaceful existence soon comes crashing down when criminal mastermind Maxime Le Mal escapes from prison and vows revenge against Gru."

The movie already made its debut at the Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on June 9, 2024. It is scheduled for a theatrical release on July 3, 2024.

Besides Steve Carell, Despicable Me 4 stars Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Miranda Cosgrove, Stephen Colbert, Steve Coogan, Sofía Vergara, Renaud, Madison Polan, Dana Gaier, Chloe Fineman, and Will Ferrell, among others.

Catch Despicable Me 4 in theatres near you on July 3, 2024. Stay tuned for more updates.