Always at the Carlyle: A Prestige Documentary AVOD Launch Case Study

Devin Paxton
2 days ago
3 min read

Some films don’t need to be sold.

They need to be reintroduced with care.

Always at the Carlyle, directed by Matthew Miele, is a documentary centered on the iconic Hotel Carlyle — a cultural institution long associated with New York’s most discerning figures. The film features appearances by George Clooney, Naomi Campbell, Sofia Coppola, Jon Hamm, Anthony Bourdain, Lenny Kravitz, Anjelica Huston, Jeff Goldblum, and others, and has been covered by outlets including The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and The Hollywood Reporter.

In August 2024, the film transitioned to free streaming on AVOD platforms, including Tubi and Prime Video.

The challenge wasn’t awareness or legitimacy.It was introducing a prestige documentary to free platforms without eroding its cultural value.

This case study breaks down how I approached the AVOD launch by emphasizing tone, recognizability, and platform-native presentation — while preserving the film’s sense of place and authorship.

Objective: Free Access Without Brand Dilution

The goal of the campaign was clear and narrow:

Announce the film’s availability on Tubi and Pluto TV
Reintroduce the documentary to new audiences discovering it for the first time
Maintain the film’s prestige positioning despite free access
Use recognizable faces as entry points — not clickbait

This was not a growth experiment.It was a brand stewardship exercise.

Strategic Constraints

The launch operated under several important constraints:

No theatrical framing or press cycle
No new interviews or talent-driven promotion
A short window to communicate availability
Platforms associated with mass discovery, not exclusivity

The risk was obvious:

Free streaming can cheapen perception if mishandled.

Strategic Approach

The strategy centered on recognition, restraint, and tone.

Rather than repositioning the film as “new,” the creative framed it as accessible for the first time — an invitation, not a push.

Three principles guided execution:

Recognizable Faces as Entry PointsThumbnails and opening frames prioritized familiar figures to stop scroll — Clooney, Coppola, Goldblum — without reducing the film to celebrity montage.
Editorial, Not Promotional LanguageCopy avoided urgency, hype, or platform-first messaging. The emphasis remained on atmosphere, history, and cultural weight.
Platform-Native AdaptationAssets were rebuilt to fit the discovery behavior of YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok — without adopting their loudest conventions.

Execution

Creative Development

Using existing footage, I produced two weeks of platform-native content, including:

Trailer cuts with updated end cards:
- “Now Streaming Free on Tubi”
- “Watch on Pluto TV”
Short-form clips highlighting:
- The Carlyle as a character
- Quiet moments with recognizable figures
- The intimacy of the setting
Thumbnails designed to balance:
- Prestige
- Recognizability
- Clarity

Every asset was built to feel considered, not promotional.

Platform Deployment

The rollout focused on organic distribution, tailored by platform:

YouTube
- Longer-form clips and trailers
- Thumbnail optimization using familiar faces
- Messaging focused on availability, not urgency
Instagram
- Vertical-first edits
- Feed and Reels placements
- Minimal copy, letting visuals carry tone

Content was distributed through the film’s channels and aligned brand accounts to reinforce consistency across platforms.

Results

Across the AVOD launch window:

YouTube: 40.4K views
Instagram: 105K views
Link in Bio: 108 tracked clicks

While this campaign was not conversion-led, engagement patterns showed sustained interest — particularly from viewers unfamiliar with the film’s original release.