Why Smurfs 2025 Is Leaving Audiences Blue: A Marketer’s Genuine Case Study (Not a Rant, Promise)

Let me start with a true story: I kept seeing that new Smurfs movie poster plastered on busses everywhere in Birmingham. I mean, everywhere. Yet despite dozens of drive-bys, I can honestly recall exactly one thing: Rihanna. That’s it. Not one line about what the movie was about, no sense of the plot, not even a memorable Smurf character. 

Rihanna is literally stamped on this poster. I've seen this poster at least 10 times and the trailer yet I don't know what the movie is about

I had to really stop myself and think, how many of these Smurfs movies have there even been? And what happened to all those quirky blue characters from my cousin’s generation anyway? (Unfortunately, I didn’t grow up with Smurfs but rather High School Musical, still singing at random parts of the movie but somehow better) 

If you think this is a hate piece on little blue folks, trust me, IT’S NOT.. Call it a genuine marketing observation (and a nudge to all OOH agencies: please stop using my bus routes as a strategy).

Franchise milking, when is the good time to end it? 

Let’s be honest, The Smurfs had been flaring up every once in a while like cringey fashion trends. The series have been reboots and sequel-ed to the moon and back, a whopping five films since 2001. Did I know this from the posters? Absolutely not. But the ticket sales say it all: From $563 million in 2011, down to $197 million in 2017, and now, the 2025 movie is limping into US theaters with only $604,000 worldwide. That’s less “summer blockbuster,” more “did anyone see my blue paint bucket?”

My nostalgia was supposed to kick in... instead, I found myself asking if this was the same Smurfs I barely remember from Saturday cartoons. If the brand can’t help me connect the dots despite a huge rollout, what hope does it have with audiences ten years younger than me?

The Rihanna Spotlight, And the Shadow Behind It

Now, let’s talk about that Rihanna effect. Make no mistake, she’s a phenomenal artist and business mogul, she deserves every headline. And, wow, did the studio make sure she got every headline.

That poster campaign should have just said “Rihanna Is Here” and called it a day. But for all its boldness, the campaign left me blank on the rest: who’s in the movie? What’s the story? Why should families care?

If anything, this move goes to show: sometimes you can put your whole marketing budget on a single superstar, but what’s left for the actual magic of the story? As a marketer (and someone who’s genuinely walked past at least 30 of those buses), I felt more confused than excited.

Who’s This Movie For? Because I’m Not Sure

Let’s explore the data related to family movie attendance: Who purchases tickets for films like Smurfs? It's usually parents or guardians aged 25-54 who are paying and organizing the movie outing. Who are the real viewers? Children, generally aged 5–12, are the primary audience for animated, family-friendly movies like Smurfs

Here’s why that split matters:Parents are targeted with nostalgia or celebrity (like Rihanna’s face on my bus routes), but they aren’t watching alone, nor are they the ones clamoring for sequels. Kids are the end-users, and their interest is earned with relatable stories, fun characters, catchy music, and truly memorable humor, none of which star power alone can guarantee.

To illustrate just how essential this split is:

• Families with children under 12 go to family movies about 4.9 times a year on average, compared to 3.7 for the overall moviegoing public1.

• But as theaters know all too well,, kids need adult chaperones—yet content can’t rely on adult nostalgia if it won’t make kids want to come back45.

So, who’s this movie for?

Bottom Line

Of course, these issues don’t just live on busses and movie posters, they mean real box office pain. Stalled ticket sales and evaporating audience interest are a wake-up call even the most iconic franchises can’t ignore. Without a revitalized approach, the Smurfs brand risks being remembered not for its fun or heart, but for how quickly it faded into the marketing background.

So, marketers and franchise leaders, here’s my two cents:Nostalgia alone won’t save you. Neither will a superstar billboard campaign if the story and characters are lost in the noise. And for what it’s worth, I still don’t hate the Smurfs. I’m just rooting for smarter, braver ways to turn a childhood classic into a family event worth remembering. Now, if only I could remember a single plot detail...

So, What Can Save the Smurfs?

Stop spending all your budget on celebrities

Put that money where it counts—into actual writing. Into music that makes everyone hum it in the car. Into animation that makes even TikTok-scrolling preteens go, “wait, what’s that?”

Tell a story that feels like 2025, not 1985

Families today are navigating real stuff, blended households, anxiety, reinvention, grief (Think Despicable Me and Inside Out). Why not let the Smurfs grow up a bit too? It’s not that deep to give blue creatures actual emotional depth. And humour that’s honest, weird, and current? That ages way better than a one-liner and a dance break.

And please, know when to wrap it up.

Not everything needs a 6th reboot. If the magic’s gone, don’t drag it out, end on a high. Give it a proper sendoff so the next generation remembers the Smurfs fondly, not as “that movie no one watched but Rihanna was in it.”

Final thought? You can wrap a building in blue and book the biggest names in music, but that only gets you so far. In the end, audience connection and relevant storytelling are what move families and ticket sales. As a marketer, it’s a reminder that hype without heart just makes for expensive, forgettable bus ads.