In the high-stakes world of theatrical marketing, where franchise fatigue looms like a shadow, the creative minds at AV Print of AV Squad faced an exhilarating challenge. Tasked with breathing fresh life into two of cinema’s most iconic action franchises—“John Wick: Chapter 4” (above, left) and “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1” (above, right)—the team embarked on a visual journey that would push beyond the familiar while honoring the essence of these beloved series. Under the guidance of project manager Andie Hughes, they transformed constraints into opportunities, wielding color, composition, and innovative design to forge campaign materials that commanded attention across global markets. Their ingenuity and artistic vision not only earned them Gold in the 2025 Poster Awards but demonstrated that even the most established properties can surprise and delight when approached with a fresh creative perspective.
By: Andie Hughes, Project Manager – Print, AV Print, AV Squad
Working on entrenched franchise films as a creative is an absolute honor and an absolutely daunting task. With any project, we endeavor to make unique visuals that speak to the themes of that specific film. Still, when working on the fourth or the seventh in a franchise, it’s easy to repeat iconography without pushing the new (especially if you’re a fan—and we certainly are). At AV Print, we were so fortunate to have been able to work with Lionsgate on the latest installment of the John Wick franchise and with Paramount on the seventh Mission Impossible film, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1, giving us the incredible opportunity to bring new life and perspective to these iconic film brands.
After a couple of early rounds on John Wick, the client settled into the idea of progressing the color palette through the campaign with different shades of a sunset, as if the sun was setting on John’s final day. With this setting sun, we could also push the feeling of time running out, furthered by the hourglass motif. With that concept and the established neon looks from the previous films, we could lean into these rich shades of orange, supported by the bright neon title. This palette helped to differentiate this campaign from the previous films so that when you look at these pieces, you know they’re for the fourth film—no mistaking them for the dark blues and purples of years past yet, which are still undeniably Wick. The confident Keanu looking right down the barrel of the camera, the caught moment feeling action, and the smashing array of character posters are all key identifiers of the franchise. Combining these elements with our striking new palette and details unique to this film kept this campaign exciting. The bullets replacing sand in the hourglass promise tension and stakes. The characters’ backgrounds tease a rich and expansive world—all pop with color (beyond John’s sunset) and indicators of global adventure. Furthering the global reach with our international poster, we featured Donnie Yen and Keanu Reeves in an intense duo-tone neon. Together, these pieces are a feast for the eyes that the film delivers on. In the business of storytelling, we feel this campaign does exactly that.
With Mission Impossible, we were tasked with a very different goal—not establishing a campaign but branching out from one to create specialty release posters so often known for breaking campaign rules. Featured here, we have what became the Dolby Exclusive poster, printed in a smaller size and handed out at screenings. We were asked to play in spaces that don’t immediately scream Mission; clients wanted to see something new and bold. Striking. We didn’t have to feature photoreal stunts, we didn’t need to see Tom Cruise, and we didn’t really need to adhere to any of the common directives of this franchise. One of the only things they really wanted was for us to find a creative way to use the M:I icon. With quite a wordy title, the clients were interested in stripping things back for a simpler read. Given that direction, we took to breaking the mold—literally. Opting for a graphic approach, we took the requested M:I symbol, then skewed it and broke it into pieces, effectively turning it into an action set. Despite being on a gradient red background, the stakes of the stunt still feel real, and the skew of the letters with the dangling Tom Cruise brings the classic franchise look while feeling very different from what’s come before.
We want to offer a big thank you to our Paramount and Lionsgate clients for including us in this journey and congratulate them on their respective success! The wealth of assets and direction to work with was phenomenal and created an amazing environment for us to dig into. We hope you enjoy these pieces as much as we enjoyed creating them and seeing them out in the world.
AV Squad is a creative advertising agency specializing in entertainment marketing. Founded by Chad Miller and Seth Gaven in 2004, AV Squad has grown into one of the leaders in the entertainment marketing space, garnering numerous awards for campaigns that span all genres, audiences, and budgets. Fostering a culture of collaboration, respect, creativity, and diversity, AV Squad and their work speak for themselves. In 2019, Peter Stark joined the team, adding a new division, AV Print, to handle all key art, illustration, design, and OOH capabilities. These teams continuously collaborate to create outstanding, attention-grabbing campaigns that stand out in the busy media landscape.
AV Squad hails independent artistic expression while embracing audience, client, and creator feedback to build the finest and most impactful advertising creative imaginable. Every client is a creative partner on a shared mission to produce successful marketing campaigns that garner industry acclaim and yield commercial success. We proudly employ some of the industry’s most talented designers, editors, artists, and illustrators. It’s difficult not to encounter a piece of creative that this agency has produced. Be it trailers and key art across theaters, billboards around any major city, or the numerous TV and digital spots, AV Squad is proud to help share the delight and excitement of entertainment with the world.
