When Marvel and Sony brought Spider-Man: Brand New Day to Glasgow, the production was never meant to stay hidden behind closed sets, as usual. Instead, the studio leaned into openness, allowing fans and locals to witness — and even participate in — the making of the film. What emerged was a well-thought-out blend of filmmaking and marketing that blurred the line between promotion and performance. Glasgow’s streets doubled as Manhattan; in doing so, they became a stage for one of the most striking organic marketing campaigns of the year.
Fans as Witnesses and Participants
For Tom Holland, who once filmed under the restrictions of pandemic soundstages during No Way Home, the difference was palpable. On the very first day of shooting, he expressed how energized he felt having fans present on set — calling it a reminder of the excitement of his early days as Spider-Man. But his role extended beyond wearing the suit; Holland became an ambassador for the experience. He greeted fans, high-fived children, and even stopped mid-scene to interact with the crowd.
One moment in particular encapsulated the strategy’s emotional power, when a four-year-old boy in a Spider-Man costume waved at Holland, who responded in character. The clip, captured on smartphones, spread quickly across social media, symbolizing the magic of spontaneous connection. All designed to create a real-life experience, blending the imagination of a superhero with genuine human interactions that are raw enough to go viral and memorable enough to strengthen the film’s cultural presence months before its release.
Filming as Public Spectacle
Beyond celebrity encounters, the production itself was designed to dazzle. Glasgow’s Bothwell Street morphed into a convincing Manhattan, complete with yellow taxis, NYPD squad cars, food carts, and even military vehicles rolling through the streets. Crowds gathered daily, cheering as explosions thundered, cars flipped, and chase sequences unfolded in real time. What might normally be hidden in post-production became a live performance, turning spectators into both audience and amplifiers.
For residents, the transformation disrupted routines, but also offered a rare opportunity to see Hollywood at work — a collision of everyday life with cinematic fantasy. For tourists, it became an attraction in itself, a chance to stand a few meters away from Spider-Man swinging into action. And for Marvel, it was a way to ensure that every photo snapped, every video uploaded, became an unpaid promotion shared on timelines worldwide.
The Strategy of Immersion
The brilliance of this approach lies in its subtlety. Rather than announcing a marketing campaign, Marvel created an experience that naturally generated content, fitting perfectly with the marketing that generated leads by the minute. algorithm. Fans were left with memories and stories, while their online posts became authentic endorsements of the production. In an era when audiences are increasingly skeptical of polished studio campaigns, these unfiltered moments carried credibility.
By allowing people to peek behind the curtain, Marvel transformed curiosity into participation. Glasgow wasn’t just a filming location; it became a stage for a carefully engineered yet seemingly spontaneous interaction between brand and audience. The authenticity of this “accidental” exposure positioned the film as a shared cultural moment rather than a product being sold.
A City as Co-Star
Equally significant is the role Glasgow itself played in the strategy. The city’s architecture, often used as a stand-in for New York, provided visual authenticity, but also a unique sense of place for fans who recognized their hometown reimagined on a global stage.
This co-starring role for the city created a layered narrative: on one level, Glasgow was New York for the film’s story; on another, it was Glasgow, a city energized by the thrill of Hollywood spectacle. That duality ensured that the buzz extended beyond movie fans to the civic conversation, as local media covered the transformation as a point of cultural importance.
What It Means for Marketing
The Glasgow experiment offers a blueprint for how studios — and brands more broadly — can rethink engagement in the digital age. Nowadays, the marketing approach must flow smoothly to the audience; it needs to be seamless and implicit in social media viral content, rather than forced or controlled, with perfectly edited trailers and interviews. The experiences that feel authentic, participatory, and emotionally charged often achieve greater resonance. By trusting fans to capture and share the moment, Marvel tapped into the most effective form of promotion: word-of-mouth amplified through social networks. Is this a return to the roots of marketing itself?
The question relies on it, but the lesson for marketers is clear: audiences today crave experiences that feel genuine, not manufactured. When a brand allows its story to unfold in public, it creates opportunities for connection that cannot be replicated in polished campaigns. Marvel’s gamble in Glasgow proved that sometimes the most effective promotion comes not from billboards or teasers but from the simple, unscripted joy of watching Spider-Man swing past on an ordinary street.
