To mark the return of the Man of Steel to the big screen, Surprise Surprise teamed up with Warner Bros., DC Studios, and other partners to create a one-night-only advanced screening and celebration of Superman at Union Terminal, the inspiration and home of the Hall of Justice. Surprise Surprise reimagined the classic movie premiere into a fully fan-powered event. Fusing legacy, community, and cinematic storytelling, the activation brought together creators, influencers, superfans, and media to celebrate the cultural impact of Superman in a bold new way.

The Challenges

For Surprise Surprise

• Reinvigorating an Iconic Legacy: Superman is one of the most recognizable figures in pop culture history, Surprise Surprise had to honor that and the Union Terminal's legacy while presenting a fresh, contemporary lens that resonated with both longtime fans and new audiences.
• Activating a Modern Fanbase: The event needed to engage a cross-generational audience that included die-hard comic book loyalists, Gen Z creators, and digital-native fans in a way that felt inclusive, energizing, and authentic to each group.
• Balancing Brand Collaboration: With multiple high-profile partners including Warner Bros., DC Studios, and Homage, Surprise Surprise had to carefully navigate brand alignment and creative approval processes while maintaining a clear and compelling creative vision.
• Executing Within Tight Timelines: Surprise Surprise had less than five weeks to develop all items for the experience, meaning we had to work faster than a speeding bullet. The entire event, including venue transformation, guest experience design, and promotional rollout was produced on a compressed schedule, which required rapid coordination across vendors, creative teams, partners, and talent.

For Warner Bros. / DC Studios

• Modernizing a Cultural Icon Without Losing Heritage: Warner Bros. needed to present Superman, a globally recognized symbol of justice and Americana, in a way that honored decades of fandom while also aligning with contemporary audience expectations and current cinematic tone.
• Maximizing Impact Through Limited-Time Experiential Marketing: With only a one-night window, Warner Bros. needed a reliable creative partner to create an event that would drive meaningful cultural momentum, social reach, and audience anticipation for the film, all within a condensed timeline and without the traditional promotional runway of a nationwide campaign.
• Coordinating Multi-Partner Brand Storytelling: With Surprise Surprise leading creative and developing branded apparel and activations, Warner Bros. had to trust Surprise Surprise to maintain a cohesive brand message across multiple collaborators, ensuring the experience served both fan engagement and studio marketing objectives.

The Solution

Surprise Surprise

• Reinvigorating an Iconic Legacy: Blended Superman's historic mythology with partner-driven activations, including Cincinnati Animal CARE's Krypto tie-in, live comic artists, Superman cupcakes, and DJ sets from KISS 107 and WEBN, creating a high-energy, community-focused celebration.
• Activating a Modern Fanbase: Curated an audience of superfans, Gen Z creators, and cultural tastemakers with interactive touchpoints, photo ops, and collectible giveaways to engage every segment authentically.
• Balancing Brand Collaboration: Streamlined approvals and creative alignment across Warner Bros., DC Studios, Homage and other partners, maintaining a cohesive vision while integrating multiple brand priorities.
• Designing for Immersion and Virality: Built photogenic, shareable environments and deployed real-time social capture teams to amplify buzz across press and digital platforms.
• Executing Within Tight Timelines: Produced a large-scale, high-touch experience in under five weeks, leveraging agile workflows, modular scenic builds, and precise cross-team coordination.

Warner Bros. / DC Studios

• Brought Superman to Life Through Experiential Storytelling: Warner Bros. partnered with Surprise Surprise to support the transformation of a one-night advanced screening into an immersive, fan-powered celebration, blending cinematic legacy with modern experiential design.
• Provided Brand Alignment and Exclusive Content: Supplied clear brand guidelines to ensure all activations reflected Superman's tone and delivered a special IMAX print of the film for an elevated, premiere-level viewing experience.
• Enhanced the Experience with Branded Promotional Items: Offered official promotional materials, including one-sheets, to deepen fan engagement and provide lasting event takeaways.

Our Plan

We began by deeply immersing ourselves in the world of Superman, exploring the character's cinematic legacy, comic book mythology, and enduring cultural symbolism. We also identified Union Terminal (which was also used as a shooting location for the film) as the premiere destination for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Working closely with Warner Bros. and DC Studios, we:

• Identified key themes from the franchise: Heroism, hope, legacy, and modern fandom.
• Defined our creative north star: "Up, Up, & Premiere” — a cinematic, community-driven celebration that honored Superman's history while energizing a new generation of fans.
• Mapped audience personas: Lifelong comic book enthusiasts, Gen Z creators, influencers, media, and local community partners.

With story and strategy aligned, our team conceptualized a fully immersive fan experience that transformed a classic screening into an event worthy of the Man of Steel, designing thematic activations which included:

• Homage providing the official clothing for the promotional and day-of activities to all staff, utilizing their Homage x Superman collection.
• A phone booth photo installation where guests were given Superman shield stickers and glasses to channel their inner-superhero
• Cincinnati Animal Care's Krypto the Superdog station
• Live comic artist sketches and Cincinnati Comic Expo tie-ins
• Superman-branded cupcakes from A Spoon Fulla Sugar and collectible giveaways
• A guest intro from film critic TT Stern-Enzi
• High-energy music from KISS 107 and WEBN DJs
• A signature “Hall of Cocktails” drink menu and tasting from Lucky One Lemonade

The experience was also designed to generate content and cultural buzz at scale:

• Invited key influencers, media outlets, and superfans for first access to the screening.
• Designed and distributed exclusive promotional items like limited edition Superman tote bags, Daily Planet VIP press badges and newspaper front pages, and one-sheets to deepen engagement and create lasting takeaways.
• Coordinated with Warner Bros. and DC Studios to feature a special IMAX print of the film, making the screening feel like a true premiere experience.

The Outcome

• Event reached full capacity with a waitlist as long as the guest list, proving strong community and fan engagement.
• Fans experienced Superman in IMAX at Union Terminal (the “Hall of Justice”), creating an unforgettable, cinematic-scale moment tied to the character's legacy.
• Generated tens of thousands of organic impressions from influencers, superfans, and media coverage, driving cultural relevance online.
• Homage apparel, promotional tote bags, VIP Daily Planet badges and one-sheets, Superman cupcakes, and comic book activations amplified brand visibility and created tangible takeaways for attendees.
• Collaborations with Cincinnati Animal Care, Cincinnati Museum Center, KISS 107, WEBN, and local comic artists deepened the connection between the film and local culture.
• The event functioned as a content engine for Warner Bros. and DC Studios, providing cinematic fan moments, influencer amplification, and exclusive IMAX premiere footage to support the film’s broader marketing campaign.
• The Superman Celebration was more than a screening. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience inside the Hall of Justice, where fans witnessed the Man of Steel on the biggest screen possible. Surprise Surprise transformed the event into an unforgettable moment of cinematic scale and fan connection, leaving guests with memories as heroic as Superman himself.