In Theatrical Entertainment, the usual approach is to release a trailer several months prior to opening, support with paid media, and then turn your focus and investment dollars to driving audiences to theaters opening weekend. But when you have a franchise with the history and pop culture significance of Bond — especially when it’s Daniel Craig’s last foray in the tuxedo — the moment warrants something bigger.

For No Time to Die, Canvas worked with MGM Studios to make the trailer drop as big as the premiere of the film itself — all the glitz, stars, and hoopla to get Bond fans, new and old, clamoring for their first taste of the latest chapter. To pull off such a feat required creativity, a coordinated global effort, and meticulous planning...