This Creepy ‘Obsession’ Marketing by Focus Features Gives the Full Nikki Experience

Back during what feels like a lifetime ago–the year 2024, to be exact–Neon caught the attention of audiences everywhere with their brilliant marketing for Longlegs. Revealing only strange images out of context, much of them teasing a film steeped in gruesome violence and sinister Satanism, it got all of us talking. Many horror fans, including myself, were so impressed, that it had us declaring the studio should win an award for best marketing of the year. Well, we’re just barely five months into 2026, but I think Focus Features deserves that sort of praise for their marketing of Curry Barker‘s Obsession.

While the trailers and poster for Obsession have all been phenomenal, they’re not what I’m referring to. No, I’m talking about Focus Features’ gimmick that allows you to text with the film’s tragic victim of a wish gone wrong, Nikki (Inde Navarrett).

By texting “Hi” +1 (724-876-4554), you’re given the chance to opt into a text chat with Nikki. Doing so enables an immediate response that reads, “Hey it’s Nikki! I’m so glad you reached out, I can’t wait to chat with you,” before divulging into terms and conditions, blah blah blah. Once you reply Y, the fun begins, and Nikki is unleashed to become your own personal stalker.

I opted into chatting with Nikki back on March 11th. Since then, the marketing ploy has delivered the full Nikki experience in the best and worst ways.

Things started out relatively normal for “Nikki” and I. At first, she’d send a couple texts of “I just can’t seem to get you out of my head,” here, some voice recordings declaring “I love you so, so, so much,” there. Okay, so it wasn’t that normal. But it wasn’t too far apart from your average clingy significant other, either.

As the weeks progressed, however, Nikki got…weirder.

On April 15th, I received the first voice message in a couple weeks. “Hey, it’s Nikki…you’re not ignoring me, are you?” The tone in her voice said she wasn’t too happy with me.