A.J.Simmonds / Writer for Hire
COPY DECK — Teaser Campaign
BRIEF
Audience:
25–45, culturally engaged, tech-aware, psychologically curious viewers who appreciate intelligent genre films.
Goal:
In a near-future metropolis, citizens upload their memories to a shared archive called Mirror City — but when a low-level technician discovers her own memories have been altered, she begins to question what’s real and who’s controlling the truth.
A24 is producing the campaign for digital and theatrical trailers. The aim is to provoke curiosity and tension, positioning Mirror City as a mind-bending thriller about memory, control, and digital identity — appealing to audiences of Ex Machina, Annihilation, Black Mirror.
Tone:
Clean, minimal, unsettling. Lean into paradox and repetition (“Remember what you forgot.”). Avoid tech jargon; think elegant unease.
Deliverables:
3–4 tagline options (conceptual, intelligent, intriguing)
30s trailer copy (10–12 supers + optional VO)
1 paragraph rationale explaining thematic interpretation and tonal choices
TAGLINES
1. Convenient. Comforting. Complete fabrication.
2. This is not your life.
3. What's in a memory?
ROUTE 1 - A Complete Fabrication
Supers / VOs (30s)
[SUPER] CONVENIENT
[SUPER] COMFORTING
[SUPER] COMPLETE FABRICATION
[TITLE] MIRROR CITY
ROUTE 2 - This is Not Your Life
Supers / VOs (30s)
[SUPER] YOU LOVE YOUR FAMILY
[SUPER] YOU LOVE YOUR CITY
[SUPER] YOU LIVE A GOOD LIFE
[SUPER] THIS IS NOT YOUR LIFE
[TITLE] MIRROR CITY
ROUTE 3 - What's in a Memory?
Supers / VOs (30s)
[SUPER] A PERSON'S LIFE IS THEIR MEMORIES
[SUPER] BUT WHAT'S IN A MEMORY?
[SUPER] WHATEVER THEY WANT
[TITLE] MIRROR CITY
RATIONALE
ROUTE 1 - A Complete Fabrication:
This route presents two lies and one stark truth. The first Supers offer two positives associated with uploading memories into a universal memory bank, echoing an alliterative corporate ad campaign or governmental propaganda. The messaging is subverted by the final super, which acts as a sinister rugpull.
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ROUTE 2 - This is Not Your Life:
This route presents a series of declarative statements that progressively expand in scope — from the personal to the communal to the existential. They carry an authoritative tone that borders on over-zealous. The final super contradicts the clarity and confidence of the previous three, delivering an eerie, existential punch.
ROUTE 3 - What's in a Memory?:
This route opens with a philosophical statement, followed by a rhetorical question. The understated answer is presented as matter-of-fact, implying that memories can be edited and controlled. This leads to an uncomfortable realization: if memories can be altered, then so can a person’s entire life narrative, which gives way to existential terror.
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