If you’ve seen an influx of leaf emojis on your social media feed in recent weeks, don’t worry — you’re not being stalked by bonkers botanists.
The foliage making its way into tweets and Instagram bios these days is actually a calling card for super-fans of Netflix’s latest hit, “Frankenstein.”
So why leaf emojis?
It’s a sweet reference to a moment between Jacob Elordi’s Creature character and Mia Goth’s Lady Elizabeth Harlander when he presents her with a thoughtful gift, a single leaf, which she warmly accepts.
The tender moment in an otherwise macabre tale has made the film a hit among pundits and audiences.
Since the debut of the Elordi and Oscar Isaac-led flick on the streamer in October, it’s captured the attention of the internet, receiving praise for its stylish direction from Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro and heartfelt performances from an all-star cast also including “Inglourious Basterds” actor Christoph Waltz.
Netflix capitalized on the good will with a robust social media campaign, employing a similar strategy that successfully elevated viral titles like “KPop Demon Hunters” and the holiday thriller “Carry On.”
Netflix generated a whopping 1.2 billion impressions on its owned social media pages within the first five days of “Frankenstein” streaming.
A time-lapse video of Elordi’s intense 11-hour makeup transformation into the Frankenstein monster racked up over 285 million impressions globally on its own.
But the secret sauce has been in the fervent cinephile community that has rallied around the film, dubbing themselves “franken-fans.”
The streamer has amplified those supportive voices by reaching out to their most ardent admirers and sending them exclusive merch packages to keep those good vibes going.
Netflix has also collaborated with prominent creators whose personal brands complement “Frankenstein,” including well-known cosplayers to highlight the project’s lush costuming, and puppeteers who attended the premiere with tiny recreations of the film’s cast.
All the online love has translated to a monster hit. The film has been No. 1 on Netflix for the past two weeks, earning 29.1 million views in the first week, and 33.8 million in the second.
“Frankenstein” has landed in Netflix’s Top 10 in 93 countries, and reached the top spot in 84.
That popularity extends well beyond just viewership, with Netflix’s movie tie-in edition of Mary Shelley’s novel seeing a 180-percent sales spike via Penguin Classics in the week following the film’s release, while actors Elordi and Goth have surged in prominence, topping IMDb’s list of most-searched stars in what’s being dubbed “the ‘Frankenstein’ effect.”
The film is poised to make a strong showing this awards season, with Elordi and Del Toro in particular generating big buzz for their work on the project.
But whether the title has staying power for the Oscars, “Frankenstein” isn’t leaf-ing the conversation anytime soon.
