Latest / Brand Storytelling with Fexingo: Narrative, Mission, and Stories That Sell / How A24 Turned Indie Film Into a Lifestyle Brand
Transcript
- Lucas: If I say the name A24 to you, what comes to mind first? Luna: Honestly? A green hoodie with no logo that costs a hundred bucks. And I almost bought one. Lucas: Right. And that's exactly the point. A24 — the film distribution and production company — has become one of the most fascinating brand case studies of the last decade. Not because of blockbuster ad campaigns, but because they built a cultural movement around curation, scarcity, and taste. Luna: They started in 2012 as a tiny indie distributor. Now they're a lifestyle brand with a fan base that camps out for merch drops like it's a sneaker release. Lucas: Exactly. And they did it without spending a dime on traditional marketing. No billboards, no TV spots. Their entire marketing budget basically went into the films themselves and the aesthetic around them. Luna: So what was the first step? How do you go from distributing movies to selling $100 hoodies? Lucas: It started with curation. From the beginning, A24 positioned itself as a tastemaker. Their early releases — 'Ex Machina', 'Moonlight', 'The Witch' — they all had a very specific, slightly offbeat sensibility. They weren't just picking good movies; they were picking movies that felt like A24 movies. Luna: That's a brand identity before you even have a logo. Lucas: Exactly. And they doubled down on the visual language. The typography, the poster design, the trailers — all of it had a cohesive, minimalist, almost literary quality. If you saw an A24 poster, you knew it was A24 before you saw the logo. Luna: I remember when 'Hereditary' came out, the marketing was all about the creepy miniatures and that one shot of the mom on the ceiling. It felt like a secret you were in on. Lucas: That's the key. They made the audience feel like insiders. In 2017, they launched the A24 Membership Program — an annual subscription that gave fans early access to tickets, exclusive merch, and a zine. It was like a book club for film nerds. Luna: And they didn't advertise it. You had to find it through word of mouth or through their social channels. That scarcity made it feel exclusive. Lucas: Right. The membership wasn't about generating massive revenue — it was about deepening loyalty among their core fans. And those fans became their marketing engine. They'd share photos of their A24 merch, talk about the films, create fan art. The brand spread organically. Luna: Speaking of merch, that's the part I find really smart. Their online shop sells hoodies, hats, tote bags — all with no visible branding. Just the cut and quality. Why would anyone pay a premium for a hoodie that doesn't say anything? Lucas: Because the lack of branding is itself a signal. If you see someone wearing an A24 hoodie and you know what it is, you're both in the club. It's a secret handshake. The brand becomes a badge of taste. Luna: It's like Supreme without the logo. Or like how Patagonia's fleece became a status symbol for a certain crowd without shouting. Lucas: Exactly. And A24 controls scarcity tightly. They drop limited-edition items tied to specific films — like the 'Midsommar' flower dress replica or the 'Uncut Gems' basketball jersey. They sell out in hours. Resale prices skyrocket. But A24 rarely restocks. That scarcity builds demand. Luna: And it also keeps the brand from becoming mass-market. If everyone could buy it, it wouldn't be cool anymore. Lucas: Precisely. Now, the other pillar of their strategy is content beyond film. They launched A24 Publishing — books like 'The Witch' screenplay and 'The Disaster Artist'. They put out vinyl soundtracks. They even produce a podcast. All of it extends the brand into the everyday lives of their fans. Luna: So they're not just a film company. They're a content ecosystem. And each piece feeds back into the brand. Lucas: Right. If you buy the 'Moonlight' vinyl, you're not just listening to the score — you're signaling your affiliation. And that's incredibly powerful for a business that operates on razor-thin margins in the film industry. Luna: I read that A24's merchandising revenue now accounts for a significant chunk of their overall income. But I also wonder — how did they get the first members? Before they had a fan base? Lucas: They leveraged the filmmakers themselves. Directors like Ari Aster and the Safdie brothers have their own cult followings. A24 gave them creative freedom, which made their films better, and then those directors brought their fans along. It was a virtuous cycle. Luna: And of course, the awards helped. 'Moonlight' winning Best Picture in 2017 — that put them on the map for mainstream audiences. Lucas: That was a turning point. But even after that, they didn't change their approach. They kept their marketing lean and focused on the fan community. In fact, they leaned harder into it. They started the A24 screening series — invite-only previews for members. Again, exclusivity. Luna: I want to talk about their newsletter. I'm signed up, and it's not like typical marketing emails. It's almost like a literary magazine — long essays, interviews, recommendations. Lucas: That newsletter is a masterclass in brand building. It provides value without selling. You read it because you love film and culture. And every email subtly reinforces that A24 is the arbiter of cool. When they do promote something, you trust it. Luna: So what can a marketer learn from A24? Let's say you're building a brand in a crowded space. Lucas: First: curation is a form of branding. The things you choose to associate with — whether it's products, partners, or content — define you. A24 didn't need a mission statement; their selection of films was the mission statement. Luna: Second: scarcity and exclusivity create desire. If everything is available to everyone, it's hard to build a cult. Lucas: Third: invest in your superfans, not the masses. A24's membership program is for maybe tens of thousands of people — but those people drive the conversation. They're the ones posting on social media, bringing friends to screenings, buying the $80 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' jacket. Luna: And fourth: create a world, not just a product. The books, the vinyl, the newsletter — they all extend the brand into areas where a film company normally wouldn't go. Lucas: Yeah. And one more: don't underestimate the power of aesthetic consistency. From the website to the poster to the hoodie, everything feels like A24. That coherence builds recognition and trust over time. Luna: It's funny — they've become this emblem of cool, independent film. But at the end of the day, they're a business that figured out how to make a very tough industry work by building a brand people want to be part of. Lucas: And that's the real lesson. A24 didn't invent a new marketing channel. They just understood that if you treat your audience as insiders, they'll treat your brand as part of their identity. Luna: Speaking of treating the audience well — and I know this is a bit of a pivot — but when we talk about building communities like A24's, there's something that makes shows like this possible too. Lucas: Sure. I mean, this podcast doesn't run ads. We keep it focused on the substance. And that's because of listeners who chip in a couple of bucks a month. It genuinely makes a difference. Luna: If these marketing conversations have sparked something you've actually used, and you want to help keep them going and ad-free, there's a simple way. It's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Small amounts add up. Lucas: Right. And we really appreciate it. Now, back to A24 — one thing I find remarkable is how they've handled streaming. While other studios rushed to license their catalog to every platform, A24 held back. For years, their films were hard to find on streaming. Luna: That's a risky move. Why leave money on the table? Lucas: Because it reinforced the scarcity. If you wanted to see an A24 film, you had to buy a ticket or a Blu-ray. That made the films feel more valuable. And it also turned their physical media releases into collector's items. They put out special editions with exclusive art, essays, and extra content. Luna: So the scarcity extended beyond merch to the core product itself: the movies. Lucas: Exactly. They eventually did license to streaming — they have a deal with Apple TV Plus now — but on their terms. And only after the brand was firmly established. Now, in 2026, A24 is essentially a mini-major studio. They produce, distribute, merchandise, and publish. All under one brand umbrella. Luna: And all without traditional advertising. It's almost a blueprint for how to build a modern media brand from scratch. Lucas: I think the biggest takeaway is this: A24 proved that in an age of infinite content, taste is the ultimate differentiator. And if you can signal taste consistently and exclusively, you can build a business that people don't just buy from — they identify with. Luna: That hoodie I was eyeing? I might actually get it now. Not for the fabric — for what it says without saying anything. Lucas: And that's exactly the point. For Fexingo Business, I'm Lucas. Luna: And I'm Luna. See you next time.