The 20 Best Moments From Deadpool’s Brilliant Marketing Campaign

Deadpool has always been a fan favourite within the pages of Marvel comics, but after Fox sewed the Merc's mouth shut in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, things looked bleak for the future of Wade Wilson on film. That all changed though when Ryan Reynolds returned to the role, shooting test footage that was eventually "leaked" online. The fan response was overwhelmingly positive, leading Fox to finally green light the project. Ever since then, the marketing campaign for Deadpool has utilised Reynold's humour and the character's penchant for breaking the fourth wall to build unprecedented levels of hype. Any fears that Fox would dare ruin the beloved character a second time round have largely been appeased, which is a huge testament to the people working on Deadpool's marketing campaign, as we haven't even seen the actual film yet! It's not often that a large Hollywood studio like Fox releases a genuine game-changer, but Tim Miller's Deadpool could pave the way for a whole new breed of blockbusters that use increasingly inventive means to market their product... so what we're trying to say is; more poop billboards please! It's a scientific fact that ranking the best moments from Deadpool's marketing campaign is physically impossible, as it's literally perfect, so instead, grab a chimichanga and join us as we relive 20 of the funniest promos in a vaguely chronological order and get ready for the film's release this Friday! 20) By The Fireplace It all started with this one beautiful image of Deadpool laying seductively by the fireplace à la Burt Reynolds. This was the moment that Ryan Reynolds (Reynolds Reynolds!?) finally unveiled Deadpool's official costume for the first time, sending fans into a frenzy of excitement and maybe even just a little bit of arousal. "With great power, comes great irresponsibility..." Indeed. 19) Saved By The Bell Comic book fans were understandably wary about Fox's new take on Deadpool at this early stage, so the news that Deadpool would be rated PG-13 was a kick in the nuts... that is, until the Merc with a Mouth killed presenter Mario Lopez mid-announcement, revealing that of course, Deadpool would be a R-rated film. Misleading fans with what seemed like a genuine interview was genius, but even then, we didn't realize the full scope of what the Deadpool marketing team had in store for us. April Fools' Day was only the beginning. 18) Cheeky Posters Next came the posters. Cheeky, cheeky posters that showed off that fine ass. Deadpool may be a mercenary, but what he's most famous for is his potty mouth and irreverent attitude towards sex with anything from chimichangas to the aging stars of a hit 80's sitcom. More on that later... 17) Motherf**ker Day After Deadpool surprised us all on April Fools' Day, few of us realized that this would just be the beginning of Wade Wilson's relentless assault on all national holidays. Next up was Mother's Day, a special holiday which Deadpool celebrated by assisting doctors in childbirth. Great guy, right? Well, the caption that accompanied this picture said, "a motherfucker since 1991," so you may need to reconsider that stance. 16) Get Stuffed In the spirit of the holidays, Deadpool released another promotional image on twitter for Thanksgiving, one that was perhaps even more provocative than the first one. With one leg cocked up as he lays over the Thanksgiving dinner table, Deadpool asks that age old question, "Is a turducken stuffed with three additional meats, or four?" For someone who's clearly a deranged psychopath on many levels, it seems that Deadpool also has a soft, romantic side, coyly inviting us to join him at the table for plenty of meat stuffing... 15) Trailer Trailer One of the many, many reasons why fans fell in love with Deadpool in the first place is because of his uncanny ability to break the fourth wall, discussing his fictional existence directly with comic book readers. This unique trait makes Wilson the perfect anti-hero to spearhead a meta-campaign that makes fun of itself. Case in point: Deadpool misled fans once again with the premiere of a new trailer... that turned out to be a trailer for the real new trailer. Confused? Grab some toilet paper and watch the promo to hear five time Academy Award viewer Ryan Reynolds suggest that you should "get ready to blow out your collective sphincters." Nice. 14) The Actual Trailer Let's just save some time and list the most awesome moments from this trailer in bullet point form. "Don't make the super suit green... or animated!" "...Like a less angry Rosie O' Donnell." Brown pants. "Cue the music." Orgasmic gun smoke. Avocado love-making. If this trailer doesn't sexually arouse you, then I don't know what will. 13) Poop Is Never Not Funny Recent years have seen the rise of a new language, one that could rival both English and Chinese in the international market and that, ladies and gentlemen, is the emoticon. Why use actual words when cute little pictures will suffice? Deadpool clearly took this to heart, putting up a billboard that... well, it's pretty self-explanatory if you look at the picture above, but what's really great about this is that anyone who doesn't know what Deadpool is would just look at the billboard and see poop. That's it. Genius. Reynolds had this amusing anecdote to share in the picture's caption; "I remember saying to Fox marketing, "You don't have the balls to put that up as a billboard." Evidently... they have a very crowded sack." 12) Halloween Deadpool may be rated R, but a few lucky/potentially damaged children had the most memorable Halloween of their lives last year when Wilson popped by to give them some lessons in crime-fighting. Highlights of the clip include a Stevie Wonder jibe and tips on how to stab people effectively while on a swing, but you really have to give the kids credit for playing along so well. Hopefully the money they made from this will help bail the children out of whichever youth detention centre they ultimately end up in. 11) Xmas Wish List In the buildup to Christmas, Deadpool took over the biggest holiday of them all with a campaign imaginatively titled the 12 Days of Deadpool. Each day, he released random yet hilarious promo materials leading towards the unveiling of a brand new trailer on Christmas Day. One of the highlights of this campaign was Deadpool's very own Xmas wish list, written in red crayon, or perhaps even blood. You never can tell with these mercenaries. Hardcore devotees of the character got a huge kick out of references to Betty White, sewing kits and a new fourth wall for the bathroom, but even casual Deadpool fans had plenty to enjoy with this early Xmas present. 10) The 'Pool Log Clocking in at a lean 69 minutes, this video is literally just a video of a burning paper bag set to some delightful festive music. Big props for the play on words and even more respect for anyone who actually sat through the entire running time, hoping for someone to stamp the fire out and create a mess at the end. 9) The "Leaked" Script Day 6 of the 12 Days of Deadpool brought us a "leaked" page from the final script, complete with Wade Wilson's dirty annotations. Whether this was made by the entire marketing team or Ryan Reynolds simply did it on his lonesome, whoever made the joke about fisting Colossus deserves a raise and they deserve it now. 8) Fifty Shades Of Slay Deadpool may not be your typical Valentine's Day movie, but that hasn't stopped the insanely brilliant marketing team from giving it a crack anyway, producing a number of posters that transform the story of Wade Wilson into a sickly sweet rom-com. Imagine if Nicholas Sparks wrote Deadpool and you'd be on the right lines. Then drink copious amounts of alcohol to try and forget that even the possibility of such a thing could exist. 7) The Golden Girls Obsession The Golden Girls may not be the typical objects of lust for a young, wise-cracking mercenary, but then again, Deadpool is about as far removed from typical as one could get. That being said, even we were a little surprised when Deadpool tweeted a picture of the girls faces stitched onto the front of ladies underwear. Whether he wears them or simply enjoys the view, Deadpool certainly has no qualms about sharing his unique fetishes with the rest of the world. 6) Cl-IMAX When one first thinks of IMAX screenings, the culinary Mexican treat known as chimichangas may not immediately come to mind... unless you're Deadpool, that is. The incredible news that the Deadpool movie would be shown at IMAX cinemas was accompanied by some first class teaching, educating us all on the similarities between our brains and chimichangas, because... Deadpool. 5) Weapon X-Files The X-Files and Deadpool both have more in common than you would initially think. Both were involved in a project code-named X, both were treated poorly in their last cinematic appearances and both have returned to the forefront of popular culture, taking names and generally kicking ass... Which still doesn't fully explain why Deadpool tweeted out a couple of pictures with the captions, "The Merc Is Out There" and "Weapon X-Files: Scientists fit Wade Wilson with adamantium genitals. Coming (never) to Fox." Oh. It's because they're also both weird as f**k. 4) Touch Yourself Tonight Some people probably won't need to be told twice, but Deadpool wants us all to touch ourselves... like, tonight. Sure, he's a pervert, but for once, Wilson is actually more concerned here with our health than his usual sexual perversions. While the video is still hilariously funny, Deadpool actually takes some time out here to create a PSA, warning men of the dangers of testicular cancer and how important regular checks are. A day later, Deadpool then released the female equivalent, urging women to check their breasts for suspicious lumps. It turns out that Deadpool does have the occasional heroic moment after all. 3) Surprise Screening On January 19th, lucky, lucky fans who we now officially hate received access to a surprise early screenings of the finished Deadpool movie... in its entirety. As if that wasn't awesome enough, Ryan Reynolds actually attended a few of the screenings and joined in, presenting a few clips and helping with some giveaways. While this may be a more conventional marketing method than others mentioned on this list, what makes this move so clever is that Deadpool promos have always been quite fan-centric and by rewarding hardcore devotees this way, the film received the kind positive word of mouth that money just can't buy. Also, the fact that everyone who attended the screening loved the film bodes EXTREMELY well for us poor suckers who have to wait until the official release date. No resentment there, none whatsoever. 2) Happy Australia Day A little bit of rivalry can be healthy in the right circumstances, unless you happen to be Deadpool and Wolverine, two of the most dangerous comic book characters ever created. After the few shared a few cheeky swipes at one another on social media, Deadpool created this promotional video to "celebrate" Australia Day... because that's a real thing. In his best Australian accent, Deadpool pokes fun at the nation's shady criminal past and predilection for blackout drinking, before revealing that his grudge all stems from the fact that Australia gave us Hugh Jackman. This resentment isn't personal, though. It's just that X-Men Origins: Wolverine was a career low for him. Understandable really. Fortunately, Australia end up fighting back with a swarm of diddly Australian bees, sort of. 1) Happy Year Of The Monkey After the Deadpool movie was denied distribution in China, apparently it had something to do with the fact that there may some nudity and violence on display, the Merc with a Mouth took the high road and wished Chinese fans a "Happy Year Of The Monkey." It's a shame that fans in China won't be able to see the film until later down the line, but Deadpool is almost guaranteed to be a huge success regardless. If you're fortunate enough to live in one of the countries that will screen an uncut version of the film, head down to your local cinema now and camp outside. We also recommend bringing a laptop and downloading some Golden Girls episodes to get you in the mood while you wait.