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Viral 'Oh My Deer!' poster trend reaches Taiwan; 'Hope' film's hand-drawn ad sparks debate

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A Taiwanese film distributor released a "low-budget" poster for "Hope" that mimics the crude style of the Chinese animated film "Oh My Deer!".
  • The "Oh My Deer!" film gained notoriety for its poor animation and bizarre art style, leading to fan-made, hand-drawn posters.
  • The "Hope" poster, featuring intentionally crooked lines and corrected typos, sparked a divided reaction online, with some finding it amusing and others seeing it as a publicity stunt.

A quirky marketing campaign in Taiwan has taken a page from the playbook of a controversial Chinese animated film, generating a buzz online. The Taiwanese distributor of "Hope," director Na Hong-jin's highly anticipated sci-fi epic, released a "low-budget" poster that deliberately mimics the crude, hand-drawn aesthetic of the Chinese animated movie "Oh My Deer!".

When the poster has no budget be like

— Facebook postCaption accompanying the "Hope" film's "low-budget" poster.

The "Oh My Deer!" film recently went viral for its rough 3D modeling and bizarre art style, prompting fans to create their own makeshift, hand-drawn promotional posters. This trend has now been embraced by the "Hope" marketing team in Taiwan.

The "Hope" poster features intentionally shaky lines and text that appears hastily written, even including visible corrections to typos. This starkly contrasts with the film's official, high-production value promotional visuals, which convey a serious, post-apocalyptic atmosphere. "Hope" boasts a star-studded cast including Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, and Jung Ho-yeon, and has been sold to over 200 countries.

Every stroke was made with painstaking effort.

— Facebook commentA viewer's humorous response to the poster's style.

Online reactions in Taiwan have been mixed. Some viewers found the "low-budget" approach humorous and creative, with comments praising the "soulful artist" and the "meticulous effort" in each stroke. Fans even expressed a desire to purchase the poster, with some jokingly asking if a "Hope"-themed beef noodle soup promotion would follow. The distributor playfully responded, suggesting a proposal if the post reached a certain number of likes.

I like this detail the most, where the typo was crossed out and rewritten.

— Facebook commentA viewer appreciating the intentional imperfections on the poster.

However, others were less impressed. Critics questioned whether a major South Korean sci-fi film, which premiered in competition at Cannes, should resort to using a meme from a widely panned Chinese animation for publicity. This led to debate about whether the campaign was self-deprecating humor or merely an attempt to ride on the coattails of another film's notoriety.

If it's released, I'll buy it.

— Facebook commentA fan expressing interest in purchasing the "low-budget" poster.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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