All’s Fair in Love, the newest romantic comedy from Nollywood, debuted on February 14, 2024, and brought in an astounding N7.6 million on its first day of business.
Regardless of how romantic comedies are not the most popular genre in Nigeria, the film managed to attract audiences and made N10.4 million during its advance screening, which took place two days later.
All’s Fair in Love swiftly rose to the top of the box office, making more than N10.4 million in just two days. It was an impressive accomplishment, particularly since it was Deyemi Okanlawon’s first time producing a motion picture.
Despite the Odds
The movie’s unexpected popularity surprised everyone when it was released in February, during the usually sluggish Valentine’s Day season. In the past, it was anticipated that films released at this time would gross about N60 million. But All’s Fair in Love, which worked with FilmOne and Accelerate TV, crushed these estimates and took home N131,340,915.93, which is an astounding 118% more than anticipated.
After its debut, the movie rose to the position of second most watched Nigerian movie on Prime Video. What then went into this surprising success?
The Marketing Strategy
The anticipated budget for All’s Fair in Love was between N100 million and N150 million, according to the ones behind the scenes. The filmmakers were able to realize their idea thanks to this substantial budget, which improved both the marketing reach and production quality.
The marketing plan was especially creative. To create enthusiasm and connect with a large audience, the team made use of familiar social media influencers. The film was able to reach a large audience both domestically and abroad because to its partnership with FilmOne, a renowned distributor of motion pictures. The film’s success may be attributed in large part to the smart distribution plan, which optimized the film’s accessibility and reach.
The creative process
Deyemi Okanlawon was part of the film’s creative team; in addition to writing the script, also produced it along with Moses Babatope, Kene Okwuosa, and Colette Otuesho. The film was directed by Ifeme C.S. and Kayode Kasum, with casting handled by producers Deyemi Okanlawon and Esse Akwaka.
Notable is also Deyemi Okanlawon’s path to becoming a film producer. After a brief employment at the NNPC Kaduna refinery, the University of Lagos graduate in chemical engineering went on to pursue a ten-year career in sales and marketing. He has held positions with QuikLinx Marketing Solutions (co-founder), Proshare Nigeria, Sales Target (founder), Dealfish Nigeria, OLX Nigeria, and Baker’s World, among other different companies.
In conclusion, All’s Fair in Love has raised the bar for Nollywood romantic comedies with its gripping story, outstanding cast, and creative promotional approach. Undoubtedly, Deyemi Okanlawon’s first-ever production has created a stir in the Nigerian film industry.
