---
title: Going analog
description: Going analog
---

[Olson Zaltman blog](https://blog.olsonzaltman.com)

# [Going analog](https://blog.olsonzaltman.com/going-analog)

 Written by [James Forr](https://blog.olsonzaltman.com/author/jforr) | Jan 8, 2026, 2:00:00 PM

Film studio A24 recently captured attention with a unique marketing move to promote its upcoming film *The Drama*. 

In early December, the studio took out space in the Boston Globe to run a [fake engagement announcement](https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/robert-pattinson-zendaya-engaged-newspaper-ad-new-movie/story?id=128283745) for the movie’s two leads, Robert Pattinson and Zendaya. The pair star in the film as an engaged couple whose wedding week is upended by a startling revelation. A24 also shared the printed announcement digitally in [a post on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/DSDkvOnkaht/?igsh=MXJpZGVzd2VzamdjOQ%3D%3D). *The Drama* is set to be released in April of this year. 

So why a print ad to promote a movie? In a media landscape dominated by the digital ([only 7% of US adults get their news from printed publications](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/news-platform-fact-sheet/)), print can seem a really illogical choice. 

But a printed advertisement is a strategic move. Non-digital engagements can feel refreshing in a world dominated by screens and algorithms colonizing consumers’ attention. Moreover, the choice was made in an environment where [filmmakers and studios are wrestling with the impact of artificial intelligence](https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinereid/2025/10/12/how-ai-is-overtaking-hollywood/) on the industry and the humanities as a whole.

*The Drama*’s physical ad feels more human, more real. Instead of the entire film living on a screen, there’s an artifact floating around out there. The newspaper announcement also revealed certain details about the characters and plot (don’t worry, no spoilers), which felt like a fun and cheeky blending of the film’s fictional world into real life.

Have you seen other marketing examples out there of a deliberate shift away from digital and AI?

[View full post](https://blog.olsonzaltman.com/going-analog)

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