“Ghostbusters” was No. 1 at the U.S. box office for 7 consecutive weeks in 1984! What is the thorough real-world strategy that even caused a social phenomenon?

New York, which has an outstanding presence in movies

The setting of the film is also important as an element that fills the gap between reality and fiction. In that regard, director Reitman said that he was very happy when many people told him after the film was completed, "This film is very New York. It really captures the spirit and atmosphere of New York."

For example, when an accountant chased by the "God of Keys" bangs on the restaurant's windows to ask for help, no one pays any attention (in the DVD commentary, one can hear someone say, "Haha, this is so New York."). However, at the end of the film, the townspeople all praise the Busters in unison, and the scene is as exciting as it gets. Perhaps these extremes are what make New York City so real.

In fact, filming in New York lasted about four weeks. During that time, filming took place at various famous locations, and sometimes the cast ran through the streets in guerrilla filming. Many citizens were caught in heavy traffic jams due to road closures for filming, and there were also increasing reports of sightings of the Busters' special vehicle, "Ecto-One." In every sense, New Yorkers were completely absorbed in the topic of this film.

"Ghostbusters" (c) 1984 COLUMBIA PICTURES INDUSTRIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

To add insult to injury, posters with the famous "No-Ghost" logo and the release date printed on them appeared all over the city before the film's release. Many people probably didn't know what the ad was for, but by not giving them any more information than that, many people became interested in the film. By being drawn into the film in all these different ways, the Ghostbusters seemed more like a familiar presence to New Yorkers, something they could encounter in real life if they went out on the streets, rather than just a fantasy.

Incidentally, when I hear these anecdotes, I am reminded of Darren Aronofsky's directorial debut, Pi . Prior to its release in Japan in 1999, the eerie letter "pi" began to appear everywhere in Shibuya, where the film was being shown, and if you wondered what it was and searched the internet, you would discover the existence of this film, as a result of a promotional campaign that was unclear as to whether it was official or unofficial. Both films have in common that the audience must take the initiative to discover the truth, but another major feature of both films is that the titles and logos of the films had a very easy-to-reach appeal.

How was that legendary logo created?