'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:

MMO Game - Hunt The Thing:

• Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) at HuntTheThing.com
• Immersive game experience from NEVERDIE Studios and Universal Partnerships & Licensing
• Launched 9/22
• Install Entropia Universe
• ~Over one million registered accounts
• Long load times

On Target: Simulated experiences allow people to enjoy the best of a controlled environment; in the comfort of their home, players can participate in the film's best action scenes and pretend they are on the freezing continent. Letting the audience immerse themselves in the story's environment and have a shared experience fighting each other and creatures bridges an emotional connection to the film.

Players can customize their avatar from gender and hairstyles to body and facial sculpting; giving control to the audience to manipulate content and take on multiple identities empowers them.

Entropia is an established MMOG virtual universe, with more than half of its one million-plus registered users being the target young male audience. Instead of placing blatant marketing ads on websites, offering a new online game environment in Entropia benefits the audience with content they will remember and use.


Missed Opportunity?: Though a large segment of Entropia players are the target audience, the Hunt The Thing game alienates the majority of people who are not familiar with MMOG.

As a first time Entropia user, attempting to download the game on the website resulted in significantly long loading times. Creating the avatar was cumbersome and confusing, and it was difficult to “begin playing” and hunting creatures. By the time a third loading bar popped up stating it would be hours upon completion, the hassle was too much to continue.

Additionally, players have noted the subpar graphics felt rushed.

Perhaps fearing the Entropia world be too foreign for new players, the similar-looking solo game Station Survival was also available for download.

Game - Station Survival:

• Station Survival single player game for PC or Mac
• Can be played online or downloaded
• Suffers from lag and glitches in control
• Facebook version fails to open to full screen
• Difficult to read instructions

On Target: This single-player shooter is similar to the Hunt The Thing game except for taking away the multi-player interactivity. As a solo mission, the game is easy for a casual player to click and immediately begin.


Missed Opportunity?: While the game is easy to start, some of the controls don’t work (Pressing “d” on the keyboard never moved my avatar to the right) and it suffered from lag when playing online. Station Survival's glitches were frustrating and most players would probably give up after a few minutes.

A good idea poorly executed is better off not introduced; it won’t create positive brand association, and may turn people away from the film if they judge it by the game's quality.

Digital Comic Prequel:

• The Thing: The Northman Nightmare available for free at Digital Dark Horse or Dark Horse Comics app
• 27-page comic rolled out in three parts on 9/21, 9/28, 10/5
• Created by Dark Horse Comics
• Written by Steve Niles (Criminal Macabre), art by Patric Reynolds (Serenity), colors by Dave Stewart (Hellboy) and a cover by Menton3 (Silent Hill)

On Target: A digital comic prequel by a notable team introduces The Thing’s origins and universe to its target comic-book reading audience, along with giving fans of the original new tidbits about the mythology.

People can form a deeper connection with the film’s story and discuss the comic with peers prior to the film’s release, creating awareness. Rise of the Planet of the Apes rolled out prequel comic pages for people unfamiliar with the franchise leading up to its release date last summer to great success.


Missed Opportunity?: Other than a scant status update on The Thing’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, this excellent marketing tool has been hidden. On Facebook, the link to the comic is buried within the general tab, “The Thing,” on the left sidebar, and the comic is noticeably absent on the official site.

Prank Videos:

It Will Become You

• Record a video of yourself and insert pop-scare tentacles footage to become The Thing
• Easy to upload and copy link to share and scare friends
• Share on Twitter using #itwillbecomeyou to win prizes
• Uses VideoTube; preview of URL does not show video

• Friends can see the URL is for The Thing and not a homemade video
• Defeats purpose of pranking anyone
• Gallery of uploaded videos is not user-friendly to scroll through

Scare Your Friends – Fake YouTube videos

• Share prank attention-grabbing viral videos from fake YouTube account 14oct2011
• Sample video titles: HOT girl, TINY bikini, Cute baby goes nuts over food!!!, Alien Attack Caught on Video!!!!
• Tentacle pops out of the right side of video to “scare” a few seconds in
• Underwhelms, tentacle is not well incorporated

• Difficult to fool friends when there is no video preview
• Fake unclickable YouTube site feels like a spam pop-up
• Trailer begins playing after

Maze Reflex Test

• Prank maze game available at Break.com
• Plays like a normal, mildly entertaining game
• Requires player to complete three rounds before "scare"
• Effective and looks legitimate when shared
• Released late on 10/12, two days before film's release

On Target: The film promises to scare, and these prank videos recreate and link the thrill and adrenaline that comes with horror movies. “It Will Become You” goes even further by having people record and put themselves in the prank video, which makes a memorable and emotional connection to the film for the viewer and uploader.

The Maze Reflex is the best of the three pranks since it plays and looks like a real game before catching a person concentrated on winning off guard.

Once scared, viewers would likely want to play the prank on unassuming friends and share the videos, creating a viral effect and increased The Thing awareness. Prank videos appeal to everyone and are easy to share, requiring a person to click, copy, and post through Facebook, Twitter, email, or chat conversations. After the cathartic fright, laughter, and relief of the unexpected scare, viewers would hopefully want to go watch the film with a date or group for the promised bigger scares.


Missed Opportunity?: “It Will Become You” is a smart concept, but fumbles when it comes to sharing the completed video; the preview URL and image does not lead directly to the video but “itwillbecomeyou.com” and The Thing image. Any hopes in sincerely fooling friends will be dashed. Moreover, the gallery of other self-recorded prank videos is difficult to scroll through and watch.

The tentacle in the Scare Your Friends’ fake YouTube videos do not seem to be incorporated into the focal point (mouth, the girl’s bikini); it shoots out of the right side each time and is not as effective as it could be. Like "It Will Become You," the links do not share like a legitimate video and would hard to fool someone.

In addition, the fake YouTube site is unclickable where one cannot comment, vote, and watch other videos. It feels eerily like the spam pop-ups that try to trick people into clicking and then infect the computer with malware; these are probably not the “infections” The Thing was aiming for.

Official Pages:

Official Site

• TheThingMovie.net
• Atmospheric visuals and sound, puts visitor in the chilly claustrophobic setting

• Log in with Facebook for “Enhanced Experience” – using your info, photos of you and your friends

YouTube

• The Thing YouTube Channel
• Includes nine uploads including a featurette, restricted trailer, TV spots, and two clips (tense standoff and introduction of the creature)

Facebook

• The Thing Facebook
• ~357,701 likes (as of 10/27/11)
• Created 9/2010 and began active engagement 7/2011
• Sample status updates:
• Poll: What would be your weapon of choice against The Thing? Flame thrower, Machete, .45 Caliber, An Axe
• "John Carpenter's 1982 version of The Thing sent shivers down our spine. What are you most excited to see in the prequel?"
• Over 1,100 comments, inciting passionate arguments
• Infect Yourself – slideshow prank-scare

• Sent “via The Thing," difficult to trick friends

Twitter:

• The Thing Twitter
• ~293 followers (as of 10/27/11)
• First tweet sent 9/22, less than four weeks before the film’s release
• Used as a source by
  UniversalPics 144k
  Mary Elizabeth Winstead 23k
  Eric Christian Olsen 20k

On Target: The official website is atmospheric, taking the visitor to the film’s chilly, claustrophobic location; logging in with one’s Facebook account creates a personal experience with photos and names strategically placed in dim, creepy areas.

One of the film clips on YouTube focused on the tension of a paranoid team unable to trust each other, echoing the 1982 version's strength and attempting to carry its goodwill over to the prequel.

Asking a question on Facebook about what fans wanted to see in this prequel to 1982's The Thing resulted in passionate arguments and comments, generating interest (though not all was positive).


Missed Opportunity?: Starting the Twitter campaign with less than a month before the release is too late, especially for a film that could have benefited from rallying fans from its source material (1951’s The Thing from Another World and being a prequel to 1982’s The Thing).

Once Universal knew they were scheduled for theatrical release, The Thing should have started recruiting sci-fi and horror fans of the original; by catering to them with exclusives and asking for their feedback, they would spread the world and create awareness. At under 300 followers on the release date, there isn’t a significant fan base to spread any message.

Retweeting positive word-of-mouth worked for Footloose’s early screenings to convert skeptical fans of the original, but Universal may have knew The Thing would divide viewers and refrained from that route. The best bet would have been creating intrigue and mystery for a prequel, having audiences guess what will be in store for them.

The official site looks stunning, but missed crucial updates such as the digital comic book.

Web Advocates – Exclusives:

IGN

• Free Sh*t with guest star Mary Elizabeth Winstead
• Targets “adolescent males”
• Comedy video showcases Winstead's likeability

Bloody-Disgusting

• BDTV interviews
• Targets horror fans

LA Time’s Hero Complex

• Exclusive sneak peek one day before digital comic debut and interview with author
• Targets comic book and sci-fi fans, self-proclaimed geeks

MTV

• Exclusive clip and interview with Mary Elizabeth Winstead
• Targets younger audience, especially females 17-34

On Target: Sought a good variety of websites who would be advocates for the film; each appealed and were frequented by niche audiences who were also the film's target audience.


Missed Opportunity?: Targeting females 17-34 could have been stronger, given that they make up the majority of the horror audience, especially ones with a strong female lead such as Winstead's Kate. (Several reports compared Kate to Alien's iconic Ripley.)

A few suggested websites Winstead could give interviews to: SheKnows.com, Cosmopolitan, E!.

OVERVIEW

The Thing had a large hurdle to overcome in its campaign: cynicism.

The general consensus among fans of the originals was this cult classic property should not be touched, especially in remake form. Nor was it necessary; with almost a three-decade gap, The Thing (1982) did not have a significant following clamoring to see an update or prequel. These may have been factors to the decision to downplay the original films in the campaign.

To introduce The Thing to a new audience, the campaign primarily used video games to target young males and prank-scare videos to start a viral reaction; though both were strong tools to link positive emotional connections, they could have been better executed and more user-friendly.

OUTCOME
(Updated: 2/15/12)

• Opened with $8.5 million in 2,996 theaters (#3 behind Real Steel and Footloose)
• Also opening:

(Source: IMP Awards)
• Footloose, a remake of the 1984 dance film
• The Big Year, a comedy starring Jack Black, Steve Martin, and Owen Wilson
• 57% of audience were male and 56% were under 30 years old
• CinemaScore: B-minus
• Production budget: $38 million
• Total domestic gross: $16.9 million (Source: BoxOfficeMojo)

Diagnosis: An unimpressive opening weekend turnout with no direct competition. There was low interest even with Halloween around the corner and audiences looking for scares (allowing Paranormal Activity 3 to reign).

Opening weekend comparison (not including inflation, Source: BoxOfficeMojo):

• House of Wax (2005) $12.1 million
• The Fog (2005) $11.8 million
• The Stepfather (2009) $11.6 million
• Apollo 18 $8.7 million
• Don't Be Afraid of The Dark (2011) $8.5 million
• The Thing (2011) $8.5 million 
• Shark Night 3D $8.4 million
• The Invasion $6 million

RECOMMENDATIONS

While the digital comic book fleshed out more about the creature and story, audiences who were unfamiliar with the original films had little idea what made The Thing unique and scary, and why it cultivated a following. To the outsider, The Thing looked like another generic creature feature they had seen before and there wasn't a compelling reason to care.

A social movie experience and one-day streaming of the 1982 film would fill in more about the story's appeal and remind people the original source was scarier than the films it inspired. This would make the new film being a prequel relevant, and reinstate it is not a sequel or remake, which fans feared.

Appealing to casual gamers, who a majority are females, a Mafia-style game would emulate the film’s tension of not knowing who to trust, set up the rules, and allow people to easily play and interact with each other.

PROJECTthing - social movie experience game:

(Psych's #hashtagkiller)

• Alternate reality game that aims to be a prequel to the prequel film
• Fans sign up to be part of an advisory panel
• Scientists have uncovered a strange life form frozen in a block of ice in Greenland
• Ask advisory panel what experiments scientists should perform
• Share discoveries with panel: photos, descriptions, videos
• Fans learn more about the creature’s behavior, history, characteristics

A social movie experience game can take first-person participation and the emotional draw of a story, and create a strong connection to the film.

Seven weeks before the film’s release, fans are invited to a website PROJECTthing.com and become part of an “advisory board” to help five scientists in the North Pole decide what they should do about a saucer and the foreign creature frozen in a block of ice they discovered inside.

The story acts as a prequel by having the scientists discover another saucer in the North Pole before the events in the film take place (the film is set in the South Pole and is unrelated to PROJECTthing). The game can be a stand-alone, but serves as an extension of the mythology if one has been following the films and digital comic, pleasing die-hards who will likely share it while setting the film's tone for newcomers.

Each week, the scientists update with their observations through Facebook messages and ask the panel to advise them on what they should do next with a list of options. The selection with the most votes win, and the action can be shown through photos or a video clip.

Similar to the Choose Your Own Adventure books, having fans make the decisions empower them and each action having possible gruesome consequences is part of the thrill. For example, using a chainsaw instead of a scalpel to dissect the creature can lead to much more gushing and goo, and diabolic results.

Through the scientists’ messages and photo updates, players see parts and glimpses of the creature; a tentacle photo here and sound and shaky video clip there. Fans of the original will learn more about the creature’s characteristics, while newcomers discover the creature is something to fear (the less shown and more implied can work up one’s imagination).

Solving puzzles, video/photo/audio clues, and cryptic messages, the advisory panel quickly learns the creature is alive, has disappeared, and someone might not be who they say they are. It is up to them to help the humans survive against the creature impersonating one of them.

Designed to deepen the audience’s connection with the film, the social movie experience game transports players to another world and has them contribute and work together toward goals.

Similar examples: USA’s Psych #hashtagkiller, Syfy’s Haven tweet-based storyline

Trust The Thing - Mafia game:

(Cry_Wolf game, Source: Random Culture)

• Target casual gamers and female audience
• Tap into appeal of Carpenter’s 1982 The Thing
• Distrust and paranoia among the team

The paranoia of not knowing who one can trust and who was infected was one of people’s favorite things in John Carpenter’s 1982 The Thing. The scariest factor was not the creature's appearance, but that it could be "any one of us."

Recreating that aspect in the popular and addictive Mafia-like game would keep casual gamers interacting and glued to their computers.

In 2005, Focus Features and AOL teamed up to create a variation of Mafia to promote their film, Cry_Wolf, which utilized AIM’s instant messenger; it was a popular and addictive game but would require transporting to mobile phones and texting today.

While the social movie experience and Entropia games require one to invest time in return for entertainment, a Mafia game is easy to start and lasts about five minutes - perfect for a small segment of fun.

(Epic Mafia)

The game will use characters, photos, and footage from the film so it is visually inviting and easier to play; compared to the photo-based Cry_Wolf game, Epic Mafia looks more complex and like it will require delving into instructions before starting.

While waiting for a new game to load, a clip from The Thing that pits the characters against each other can be shown, immersing the players in the experience and reminding them they can watch the story their playing in all its glory in the film.

Similar games: Epic Mafia, Werewolf, Cry_Wolf game (defunct), The N's Slasher (defunct)

One-Day Streaming: 1982’s The Thing:

(Chatter)

• 24-hour web event
• Chat box with real-time tweets
• Ask fans to speculate what they think will happen in prequel
• Revitalize interest in 1982 version
• Add clip at the end that previews the prequel

Since the new The Thing is a prequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 film and Universal Pictures owns both property, a special web event can be held to stream Carpenter’s film online all day for 24-hours. It will revitalize interest in The Thing (1982), especially for people who have not seen Carpenter’s version recently or at all; a large segment of the target audience were not born yet when it was released.

This event will allow people to form a connection with The Thing brand and find out why it has a following. After watching Carpenter's film, they will now have a reason to want to find out what happens in the prequel.

Viewers must log in with Twitter to comment and post with a hashtag #TheThing; they are asked to comment on what they think will happen in the prequel, along with other questions to pique interest as the film is streaming.

It is unclear if Universal Pictures wanted to highlight a connection between Carpenter’s film and the new one, but since people generally liked Carpenter’s film, the association would be positive. Moreover, they will be reminded this is a prequel, not a remake or sequel, which is where much of the confusion and cynicism stemmed from.

(SoundOff)

Similar concepts: Chatter (Social TV), SoundOff