'The Thing' (2011) digital marketing campaign analysis

(Movie poster, Photo source: IMP Awards)

The Thing (2011)
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Domestic release date: October 14, 2011 (Wide)
Rating: R
Genre: Sci-fi, Horror
Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Ulrich Thomsen, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Eric Christian Olsen

Premise: Paranoia spreads among a team of Norwegian and American scientists, including Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), when they discover something inhuman buried deep in the ice of Antarctica that is still alive and begins consuming then imitating the team members.

The hook:

• A prequel to the John Carpenter-directed 1982 cult classic The Thing
• Deliver scares in time for Halloween (the only other horror movie in wide release, Paranormal Activity 3, is released the following weekend)
• From the producers of the successful Dawn of The Dead (2004) remake and stars genre-favorite actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Grindhouse: Death Proof, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, forthcoming Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter)

Target audience: Males 17-34
Secondary target audience: Females 17-34, Fans of sci-fi, horror, and the 1951 and 1982 films The Thing is derived from

THE DIGITAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN

Game App - Flame Thrower:

• Free for iOS and Android
• Easy installation and short game
• First-person perspective simulation
• Blast creatures by touching and holding screen
• Must move mobile device 360 degrees to defend one's self
• Difficult to play, low replay value
• Other features: 

• Photo manipulation - "Infect Yourself"
• Fun to share
• Trailer

On Target: As technology increase and there are more leisure options demanding for one’s attention, people want the most out of their time and cram as much as they can into it. Budgeting their leisure time in shorter segments, they prefer “[playing] short, more casual games rather than in-depth time-consuming ones.”

A short, simulated game app where one is a scientist firing at the incoming alien creatures sounds like instant gratification – simple to start playing and takes one temporarily to a different world.

The “Infect Yourself” photo manipulation, which transforms a self-portrait into someone being split open by The Thing creature, is easy to use and fun to share with friends.


Missed Opportunity?: While Flame Thrower sounds ideal, it is an example of a good idea poorly executed. By requiring the player to shift around 360 degrees with the motion of the phone or tablet, the game is impossible to play sitting down.

The most successful game apps offer casual players who might have a few minutes during a class break or waiting in the office lobby an entertainment diversion; Flame Thrower’s game design would put people off by making them stand and spin around. It sounds like a good immersive experience in theory, but it is not practical.

Furthermore, the game has limited replay value, strategy, or goals. As the scientist, the player carries a limited amount of fuel to fire that doesn’t refill and stands static fighting aliens until fuel runs out and they are helplessly killed. A grim ending indeed.

For The Thing online games, prank videos, digital comic book analysis, and Recommendations:

Trendspotting: Teaser music videos

In the past, music videos were merely used as a visual promotional tool to launch a single, which would then help sell the album. Now in the digital age, the music video release is an event.

Leading up to the unveiling of the music video, artists have released teaser videos on their YouTube or VEVO accounts to pump up excitement among fans. Teaser videos are typically short 15-60 second clips, and sometimes employ a staggered release by counting down the days until the music video.

More often than not, the clips are just that - short footage of the product, which makes it as exciting as the product is.

To break out of the vast ocean of clips, some artists have tried teasing a little differently. Let's take a look at what missed our ears and what hit the bull's eye.

Missed The Mark #1: Coasting with what you've got
Kelly Clarkson announcing a new single/music video/album is big news in itself; after all, she is the original American Idol and one of the few winners to build a significant and loyal fan base. Her new single, "Mr. Know It All," is another terrific kiss-off anthem, so when they released a teaser clip, expectations were high.

"Mr. Know It All" teaser clip, released three days before the full video:


For a music video that didn't seem story-driven, it was boring, lacking any panache, and did no favors to anyone who was a casual viewer. The wall of article clippings and play with shadows look pretty cool, but when the clip fades out, it all feels anticlimactic and is nowhere as explosive as the song. There's nothing enticing in this bite that makes a viewer want to tell anyone about it -- let alone come back for the full entree. 

There's no denying her fans are still going to watch the full music video and buy the album, but many viewers likely wanted those 43 seconds back.

For more misses and what hit the bull's eye:

'Footloose' (2011) digital marketing campaign analysis

(Movie poster, Photo source: IMP Awards)

Footloose (2011)
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Domestic release date: October 14, 2011 (Wide)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Musical, Dance
Cast: Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Miles Teller, Andie MacDowell and Dennis Quaid

Premise: City kid Ren McCormack (played by newcomer Kenny Wormald) moves to a small town where rock 'n' roll and dancing have been banned, and his rebellious spirit shakes up the populace, which includes the minister’s daughter Ariel (Julianne Hough).

The hook:

• A new take on the beloved 1984 film, Footloose, which 27-years later still makes people want to cut loose
• Helmed by Writer/Director Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan)
• Promises a good time in a year without a wide release dance or musical film (excluding concert films)

Target audience: Females 15-34
Secondary target audience: Females 35-54 (nostalgia), Females 11-14 and parents (families)

THE DIGITAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN

“Footloose Friday” advance screening:

• Free screening on Friday, 9/30 at selected theaters for anyone who RSVPs on FootlooseFriday.com
• Ask in return for audience to tweet #footloose with review
• Footloose’s Twitter page retweets praise and positive reactions
• Convert skeptical fans of the original to vocal supporters

On Target: These advance screenings were exactly the shot of adrenaline the new Footloose needed. After its trailers were received indifferently at best, Footloose needed to prove remaking it was relevant. Without a name cast, the film had to go beyond selling it as another star-crossed lovers dance movie; as evident from the downward trend of the Step Up franchise’s box office, audiences were facing fatigue from that familiar plot.

Footloose needed to get fans of the original on their side and spread the goodwill. In order to do this, Paramount had to believe they held a winning hand - a film that was going to surprise and please that critical audience who could become their biggest supporters.

They bet right.

With two weeks before the release of the film, the one-night screening generated free publicity, which was mostly positive. In return for the free screening, they simply asked the audience to share their reviews on Twitter and Facebook.

It was important these reviews were coming from trusted sources, one’s friends, family, social circle. In addition to building excitement among the general public, these reports hopefully swayed fans of the original who skipped the free screenings to reconsider and give it a chance.

“Footloose Friday” was a brilliant move for a film that needed visibility and to bounce back from negative pre-conceptions.


Missed Opportunity?: Footloose’s Facebook and Twitter needed to crank up the engagement with fans during the two weeks after the screening to keep the momentum going. Keeping the film exciting and fresh, fans won't forget and will want to see it again and bring “everyone they know” come opening day.

For the "Cut Footloose" Dance Battle, Facebook, Herbal Essence's Footloose hairstyles analysis, and Recommendations:

Trendspotting: Lyric Videos

With the death of music videos on television, building interest for a new song takes more than simply releasing a music video. Artists and record labels have released official lyric videos, which are a cute and less-costly alternative to a big-budgeted music video that presents the song's lyrics. Sometimes they are released prior to a music video, giving fans something to tie themselves over with. 

Lyric videos allow viewers to learn the words, sing-along, and read into the song's meaning. Although there are plenty of fan-made lyric videos, the official ones are usually more polished and visually pleasing due to their budget and resources. Effective videos have more than words scrolling down the screen; they play on the song lyrics by using images and effects, such as making shapes with the words and having them bounce to the beat.

Like any gadget, just because it's out there doesn't mean it's right for everyone, and just because a song has lyrics doesn't necessarily mean it needs a lyric video.

Missed The Mark: "Feather in your eye": Do you really want people to decipher your lyrics?
When watching a lyric video, one's eyes are called to actively read and analyze the lyrics.  That's great if the song is thought-provoking and well-written since most listeners probably don't take the time to read into the lyrics while driving in the car or dancing at a club.

If the song's lyrics are not particularly meaningful or its strength, the lyric video treatment is better left avoided. That doesn't mean the song is not good; it means the song is probably meant to be enjoyed in a different capacity (club joint, elevator music, spinning class).

As Popjustice noted, Alexis Jordan's "Laying Around With You" and Jason Derulo's "It Girl" are two examples of when calling attention to the lyrics makes one realize how cringe-worthy they are.

Alexis Jordan - "Laying Around With You": Lines about cooking and burning microwave popcorn, carrying grocery bags, and having a pillow fight that ends with a feather getting stuck in one's eye are meant to be romantic, but are so literal and false (I don't know anyone who these things have happened to) that they read as ridiculous.



For the good, beautiful, and more bad: