The rather exciting new character videos for X-Men: First Class are the first major clue as to what the marketing department have been spending their budget on.

Marketing budgets are always a closely kept secret, but Marvel have loads of money. Thor's UK box office debut was good and Iron Man 2 took in a scary amount last year. And don't forget that the X-Men franchise has taken around $1.5 billion in total (X2, X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine all took over $300 million each worldwide).

So there should be some spare cash to throw at Matthew Vaughn's mutant prequel. But at times, the X-Men: First Class promotional materials have been downright dodgy. Here's where the money went:

Rubbish Banner

So cheap everyone thought it was fake. Possibly Photoshop. More likely a 12 year old with scissors and glue.

Pritt Stick £2

First Official Photos

The first official X-Men photos of the cast were way more professional than that banner. Just look at the classy furniture in Professor X's office. That chair? Free delivery from IKEA.

IKEA furniture £45

Dreadful Final Poster

The theatrical trailer was reassuringly classy, but the poster that went with it was pathetic Photoshop bilge. Great use of the marketing work experience guy.

Unpaid intern £0

New Character Trailers

The new official character trailers, including this one that features Mystique, are far closer to the kind of thing we all expect from Marvel's massive pot of cash, i.e. they're actually good. The other three are on our X-Men: First Class videos page.

Skywriting

Hiring a guy to write a giant X in a sky using his plane can be pricey, although using just the one letter helps to keep the cost down.

Giant X in the sky £3,000

That giant letter X is probably worth a billion quads or one sheets. No wonder they cut the poster budget down.

Still, when it comes to cinema marketing campaigns, there are some things that money can't buy.

A floating head inside a crippled man's silhouette? Priceless