How strong is the X-Files brand right now? That is the question I find myself asking as I look at this poster.

It’s a fine teaser in many ways. We have Mulder and Scully, we have the big X and we have a sense of possible danger and of mysterious things being revealed. It’s simple, but it gets the point across.

The thing is, it only really works if you consider that the whole X-Files thing still resonates with people, and I’m guessing that nowadays most moviegoers think “X-Men” when they see a huge X.

I think that the marketing for this film has to act as if this is not a pre-sold concept. Sure, there are some big fans left. And there is still some awareness of the series that should make selling the movie easier. But I think the marketing still has to make the case that this film is worth seeing by itself. Simply relying in warm memories of the series won’t do.

Which is not to say that there is anything wrong with releasing this poster. It’s early in the campaign and the engines are just getting started. No harm in getting the word that the movie is coming out there and getting the fans a little excited. But they will have to go much further in the future.

(Thanks to Casty the Clown for passing this along)