Coffin by Coming Soon – Queer Lisboa | Clapboard Ad Archive

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Coffin - Queer Lisboa | Clapboard Ad Archive

Queer Lisboa’s Coffin campaign, created by Coming Soon to mark the festival’s 25th year, stands as an incisive piece of branded storytelling in the European recreation and leisure category, positioning the festival not only as a vital cultural event in Lisbon, but as a tenacious custodian of LGBTQ+ narratives at their most complex and confronting. Anchored in the festival’s mission to honor and preserve queer stories, Coffin leverages the pop culture vernacular of horror—what Clapboard’s taxonomy would classify as FORMAT#12—Parody or Borrowed Format—appropriating the iconic visual tropes and tonal cues of classic scary movies to both amuse and provoke. The creative decision to frame the official festival spot in the language of genre cinema lands with thematic intelligence: by inviting audiences to contemplate even the dark and neglected chapters of queer life, the campaign underlines Queer Lisboa’s refusal to sanitize or simplify its subject matter, engaging queer communities and allies alike in a shared reckoning with both joy and adversity. Coming Soon’s execution brings sharp production values to the fore, pairing cinematic suspense and artful pacing with a resonance tailored for an audience deeply attuned to the nuances of LGBTQ+ identity and artistic visibility. While many film festivals in this category focus on the revelatory and the celebratory, Queer Lisboa’s willingness to play in the shadows distinguishes the event within a crowded market that includes international leaders like Frameline, Outfest, and BFI Flare, delivering a campaign that extends the scope of queer storytelling beyond the expected. The subtle nod to horror is neither mere pastiche nor empty parody, but an authentic acknowledgment that resilience is born in confrontation with fear, and that queer histories cannot be reduced to easy narratives—an approach that both honors the endurance of the community and invites viewers to interrogate the limits of representation in film. By situating Coffin squarely in the space where popular genre meets lived reality, Queer Lisboa underscores its enduring commitment to risk, self-reflection, and real cultural relevance. Clapboard rates this 64/100. Coffin is significant for the industry because it demonstrates how adopted genre formats can be deployed with precision to deepen a brand’s cultural resonance and celebrate legacy without sacrificing creative edge.

Credits

Client

Queer Lisboa

Agency

Coming Soon

Production House

Show Off Films

Music

Estrela De Alcantara

Executive Creative Director

Marcelo Lourenço, Pedro Bexiga

Director

Alexandre Montenegro

Cinematographer

Ricardo Magalhães

Category Mind Map

48%

The "Coffin" campaign by Queer Lisboa, launched for its 25th edition in 2021, positions the film festival as a vital cultural platform that honors the depth and diversity of queer narratives, including those that confront fear and adversity. By marking 25 years of queer storytelling, the campaign underscores the brand’s commitment to amplifying marginalized voices and preserving the complexity of LGBTQ+ experiences through cinema. The value proposition centers on Queer Lisboa not just as an event, but as a longstanding space for reflection, resilience, and representation within the LGBTQ+ community and broader society. Strategically, the campaign leverages narrative film to engage audiences on an emotional and intellectual level, tapping into the collective memory and ongoing struggles embedded in queer histories. Targeting individuals interested in queer culture, art, and social issues, primarily within Portugal and the wider LGBTQ+ diaspora in Europe, the campaign uses a creative angle that embraces both celebration and confrontation—acknowledging that queer stories encompass not only joy but also fear and loss. This approach aligns with the festival’s positioning in the travel and leisure sector as a cultural destination experience, inviting viewers to connect with a multifaceted identity through film. The film medium, with high production values and a recognizable creative team, supports this narrative depth, creating an immersive entry point for engaging with the festival’s heritage and future relevance. The campaign’s subdued but poignant engagement metrics suggest a niche but dedicated audience attuned to the festival’s cultural significance.

FORMAT#12 PARODY OR BORROWED FORMAT — Uses or parodies pop culture formats like films, shows, or genres. "Coffin" was created to mark 25 years of Queer Lisboa by celebrating “queer stories. Even the scary ones.” The campaign’s title, the reference to “scary” stories, and its context as a film festival spot strongly imply a playful appropriation of horror genre tropes—symbolically borrowing the style, tone, or narrative devices of classic scary movies. Rather than advancing a literal product or problem-solution storyline, the campaign leverages the instantly recognizable format of horror films to both amuse and intrigue, reinforcing the festival’s diverse and bold storytelling legacy by aligning with pop culture genre conventions. ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats

1. Frameline – Market Positioning As the longest-running LGBTQ+ film festival, Frameline positions itself as a pioneering cultural event in San Francisco, focusing on diverse, cutting-edge queer cinema that fosters community and global LGBTQ+ visibility. Its strong emphasis on activism and inclusivity makes it a key platform for both emerging and established queer filmmakers. 2. Outfest – Market Positioning Based in Los Angeles, Outfest highlights LGBTQ+ stories with an emphasis on narrative innovation and social impact. It combines film screenings with educational programs and industry networking, creating a hub for queer storytelling that drives conversation and change within and beyond the film community. 3. BFI Flare – Market Positioning London’s BFI Flare offers a curated selection of LGBTQ+ films blending mainstream appeal with avant-garde narratives. It benefits from the British Film Institute’s institutional backing, positioning itself as a prestigious, accessible festival that champions queer visibility in both cinema and wider culture. 4. Teddy Award (Berlinale) – Market Positioning The Teddy Award is the LGBTQ+ film prize at the Berlinale, leveraging the festival’s global reach to spotlight queer films with artistic excellence and progressive themes. Its prestige and association with a major international festival help it attract a diverse, global audience and foster industry recognition. 5. MIX Copenhagen – Market Positioning MIX Copenhagen focuses on experimental and provocative LGBTQ+ cinema and art, positioning itself as a boundary-pushing festival that challenges mainstream narratives. Its emphasis on innovation and intersectionality appeals to avant-garde creators and audiences seeking alternative queer cultural expressions.

Q: What is Coffin about? A: Coffin is a film campaign created in 2021 by the Portuguese agency Coming Soon for Queer Lisboa, one of Europe’s leading LGBTQ+ film festivals held annually in Lisbon since 1996. Developed to mark the festival’s 25th anniversary, Coffin is an official spot that celebrates a quarter-century of queer storytelling, including narratives that confront fear and adversity. The campaign was directed by Alexandre Montenegro and produced by Show Off Films, with a creative team led by Marcelo Lourenço and Pedro Bexiga. Positioned within the recreation and leisure market, Coffin underscores Queer Lisboa’s role as a cultural platform for diverse LGBTQ+ experiences. Q: What creative device does Coffin use? A: Coffin employs FORMAT#12 PARODY OR BORROWED FORMAT, as classified by Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy. The campaign playfully appropriates the tropes and stylistic cues of classic horror films, using them as a narrative and visual framework to both amuse and intrigue viewers. By borrowing the instantly recognizable format of the horror genre, Coffin reinforces the festival’s legacy of bold, diverse storytelling and aligns itself with pop culture conventions, making the campaign accessible while highlighting the multifaceted nature of queer narratives. Q: What is the campaign proposition for Coffin? A: The campaign proposition for Coffin positions Queer Lisboa as a vital cultural institution that honors the depth and diversity of queer narratives, including those that address fear and adversity. By celebrating 25 years of queer cinema, the brand asserts its commitment to amplifying marginalized voices and preserving the complexity of LGBTQ+ experiences through film. The campaign targets individuals interested in queer culture, art, and social issues, primarily in Portugal and across the European LGBTQ+ diaspora, framing the festival as a longstanding space for reflection, resilience, and representation within the travel and leisure market. Q: How does Coffin rank in Clapboard's archive? A: Coffin holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 64/100 in Clapboard’s global ad archive. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, execution quality, and cultural relevance as assessed by Clapboard’s curatorial standards. Q: Who are the competitors in Queer Lisboa's category? A: In the LGBTQ+ film festival space, Queer Lisboa competes with several key players: Frameline in San Francisco, which is recognized for its pioneering activism and global queer cinema focus; Outfest in Los Angeles, known for narrative innovation and social impact within the film community; BFI Flare in London, which blends mainstream and avant-garde queer films under the British Film Institute’s prestigious banner; the Teddy Award at Berlinale, which leverages international festival stature to spotlight progressive queer cinema; and MIX Copenhagen, which distinguishes itself through experimental, intersectional programming that challenges mainstream narratives.