Summary of Key Points
The domestic animated film "Niulai" was created by director Xin Yumeng and her mother over a period of 5 years, with the mother taking on multiple roles and producing it through a small decoration company with a registered capital of 100,000 yuan. The lack of promotional efforts led to dismal box office results at the beginning—only 3,420 yuan on the first day and just over 7,000 yuan in 9 days. However, through a closed-loop communication mechanism that involved "criticism and memes → trending digital jokes → widespread parodies → curious ticket purchases → additional theater screenings → a surge in box office revenue," the daily box office increased from 3,900 yuan to 787,000 yuan (more than a thousand times), making it the center of online attention. The essence of its popularity lies in the "unintentional badness" that sparked a frenzy of mockery and emotional engagement, rather than recognition of the film itself, offering valuable insights for the industry and public relations.
From "Worst Box Office" to "Thousand-Fold Surge": A Self-Enhancing Communication Loop
The success of "Niulai" was not accidental but followed a clear "snowballing traffic" logic:
- Step 1: Criticism and Memes Trigger the Topic
A few viewers shared specific criticisms on social media, such as the poor quality of the graphics in the "4399 mini-game" and the fact that paper models looked more refined. These issues made the film's flaws tangible and easily shareable.
- Step 2: Simplified Digital Memes for Wide Distribution
The criticisms were condensed into catchy phrases like "9 days of box office earnings: 7,169 yuan"—numbers that did not require background knowledge and quickly became topics of discussion, rising on trending lists.
- Step 3: Parodies Expand the Reach
Netizens modified posters from other films, creating memes and jokes that spread far beyond the original work. By this point, most people who shared these memes had not actually watched the film; they were consuming content about "Niulai," turning it into a subject of mockery.
- Step 4: Curiosity Turns into Ticket Purchases
Some viewers traveled long distances to watch the movie, prompting theaters to add additional screenings (from fewer than 5 to 300).
- Step 5: A Surge in Box Office Forms a Closed Loop
With the increase in screenings, daily box office revenue skyrocketed by a thousand times, with the phrase "Niulai's box office surge by 1,000 times" becoming a trending topic, attracting even more attention and creating a cycle of "popularity → data → more popularity."
The Key Point: Box office figures are no longer just business indicators; they have become part of the content itself, with each update fueling the next round of communication.
Why "Niulai"? Three Keys to the Success of an Unintentionally Bad Film
Many bad films emerge each year, but "Niulai" succeeded because it was different:
- 1. Breaking Through the Threshold of Badness
Ordinary bad films are ignored, but the extreme poor performance of "Niulai"—3,420 yuan on the first day and fewer than 300 viewers—made it a "paradoxical event," turning into news and generating traffic.
- 2. Creating a Ridiculous Story through Contrast
The combination of a mother and daughter's 5-year effort, a small production company, a modest budget, and refined posters against a rough final product created a surreal narrative. Netizens used abstract descriptions to challenge the authority of traditional film evaluations.
- **3. Sincerity Adds Depth to the "Badness"
If a professional team had made the film intentionally bad, it would have been criticized; however, the genuine effort behind it gave the film a sense of innocence. This contrast between sincerity and poor results created a compelling narrative.
Why Do Audiences Buy Tickets? Six Psychological Motivations
People buy tickets for various reasons:
- Curiosity: "Is it really that bad?" Spending a few dollars to find out if the movie is as bad as expected, with the risk of regretting either way.
- A Sense of Superiority and Aesthetic Confirmation: Criticizing a bad film is an easy way to show one's understanding of cinema, reinforcing one's judgment over the film's quality.
- Collective Carnival Participation: The communal laughter in theaters creates a sense of participation, similar to digital-age "carnival squares," where everyone becomes a participant.
- Social Currency: Sharing that you watched "Niulai" demonstrates your engagement with trends and is more interesting than showing off food.
- Emotional Release: Mocking bad films is stress-relieving; the intensity of reactions like "absurd" drives sharing more effectively than positive reviews.
- Emotional Projection by Investors: The name "Niulai" sounds like "a bull market," leading some investors to see it as a symbolic wish for market recovery, turning ticket purchases into a low-cost ritual.
Popularity Is Not Success: Boundaries and Industry Lessons
The success of "Niulai" was unexpected and not due to good reviews. Three important lessons should be learned:
- For Film Companies: Traffic can be a double-edged sword; using it for marketing (e.g., selling merchandise or making sequels) may backfire if seen as exploiting audience suffering.
- For the Industry: Avoid the "black and white" logic of success; imitation of such phenomena will only lead to mockery. Platforms and capital should not mistake outliers for effective strategies.
- For Public Relations: Emotions matter more than content. When planning communications, ask what emotions you want to evoke, not just what you want to convey. A frenzy may be a product of irony, and the participants' attitude (mockery or recognition) is crucial.
- Going with the Flow: Letting things happen naturally, like theaters scheduling screenings based on audience demand, is a risk-free way to leverage traffic.
Conclusion
As Caixin News says, "We cannot tolerate mediocrity." In fact, audiences are rejecting the sameness of mediocre works, even if it means embracing bad films. "Niulai" may fade from the spotlight, but the question remains: When will it become harder for something to stand out? That's a more profound issue than its temporary box office success.