Branded entertainment, it’s not the newest advertisement technique in town, but Warner Brothers and Paramount currently use it in a very creative and effective way for the release of their newest movie Watchmen. On the 6th of March 2009 this film hit the cinema screens all over the world. It will be Paramount’s biggest release for 2009, so expectations are high. That's why the movie companies are doing a great effort to promote this film as efficient as possible.
Branded entertainment is synonym for branded content or advertainment. This advertising application is a combination of a visual support, in this case an online comedy soap, and a brand, the film Watchmen. The purpose of this online branded content campaign is to promote the new movie with their target group by creating positive links between Watchmen and the online comedy serie. (Wikipedia, 2008)
The movie itself is quite serious, but the online campaign exists of a funny online comedy serie. Watchmen is initially a comic strip about super heroes, which only hardcore comic fans know. This online campaign wants to create awareness and a buzz around the strip characters before the movie arrives at the cinemas, targetting the large American public.
That is why Warner Bros choses for Kyle Piccolo –The comic shop therapist. This is a humorous online show about a comic store clerk who offers unsolicited advice to customers. For Your Imagination, a web production studio, created 3 original Watchmen-themed episodes. We initially see the trailer of the movie, followed by a Kyle Piccolo’s episode which features some visual and spoken references to the film. (Product Placement News, 2009)
The title of this miniserie is 3 6 9, the date of the movie’s release. The first episode is on Kyle Piccolo’s website since the 18th of February 2009.
The second episode makes the mystery from the first only bigger. This spot is visible since 25 February 2009.
On the 2nd of March 2009 the final explosive episode of the Watchmen miniserie was available on The Comic shop therapist website.
To strengthen his viral campaign, a competition is linked to each episode of this online miniserie, to which visitors of Starpulse.com and MovieWeb.com can participate.
Next to Kyle Piccolo – Comic Shop Therapist, the web production studio For Your Imagination also applies other online platforms like Abigail's Teen Diary, The Retributioners and Phistophicles to announce the special Kyle Piccolo's miniserie. (Elsbeth Eilander, 2009)
But it doesn't stop here. Also other online possibilities are adopted to promote this new film. Microsoft Advertising aims to tighten its relationship with the entertainment sector, which is continuing to increase online ad spend during the economic crisis. Microsoft will launch an online campaign to generate awareness about the Watchmen, based on the 12-issue comic book limited series. The campaign targets a wider audience through different supports like an MSN homepage takeover, a microsite movie channel, as well as banner ads on hotmail and MSN messenger. MSN will launch the first stage of the campaign across multiple channels, including an Xbox hub campaign to specifically reach male online gamers aged 16 to 34. (Sara Kimberley, 2009)
Will this movie be the big success where the makers hope for? Will the target audience be reached sufficiantly in order to get them going to watch a movie about strip characters they don’t really know? Within a few weeks, the reach and good usage of all online used supports will be visible and measurable. This campaign is one to keep an eye on!
References:
Wikipedia (n. d.) Branded entertainment [online] available from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branded_entertainment> [March 2008]
Branded entertainment is synonym for branded content or advertainment. This advertising application is a combination of a visual support, in this case an online comedy soap, and a brand, the film Watchmen. The purpose of this online branded content campaign is to promote the new movie with their target group by creating positive links between Watchmen and the online comedy serie. (Wikipedia, 2008)
The movie itself is quite serious, but the online campaign exists of a funny online comedy serie. Watchmen is initially a comic strip about super heroes, which only hardcore comic fans know. This online campaign wants to create awareness and a buzz around the strip characters before the movie arrives at the cinemas, targetting the large American public.
That is why Warner Bros choses for Kyle Piccolo –The comic shop therapist. This is a humorous online show about a comic store clerk who offers unsolicited advice to customers. For Your Imagination, a web production studio, created 3 original Watchmen-themed episodes. We initially see the trailer of the movie, followed by a Kyle Piccolo’s episode which features some visual and spoken references to the film. (Product Placement News, 2009)
The title of this miniserie is 3 6 9, the date of the movie’s release. The first episode is on Kyle Piccolo’s website since the 18th of February 2009.
The second episode makes the mystery from the first only bigger. This spot is visible since 25 February 2009.
On the 2nd of March 2009 the final explosive episode of the Watchmen miniserie was available on The Comic shop therapist website.
To strengthen his viral campaign, a competition is linked to each episode of this online miniserie, to which visitors of Starpulse.com and MovieWeb.com can participate.
Next to Kyle Piccolo – Comic Shop Therapist, the web production studio For Your Imagination also applies other online platforms like Abigail's Teen Diary, The Retributioners and Phistophicles to announce the special Kyle Piccolo's miniserie. (Elsbeth Eilander, 2009)
But it doesn't stop here. Also other online possibilities are adopted to promote this new film. Microsoft Advertising aims to tighten its relationship with the entertainment sector, which is continuing to increase online ad spend during the economic crisis. Microsoft will launch an online campaign to generate awareness about the Watchmen, based on the 12-issue comic book limited series. The campaign targets a wider audience through different supports like an MSN homepage takeover, a microsite movie channel, as well as banner ads on hotmail and MSN messenger. MSN will launch the first stage of the campaign across multiple channels, including an Xbox hub campaign to specifically reach male online gamers aged 16 to 34. (Sara Kimberley, 2009)
Will this movie be the big success where the makers hope for? Will the target audience be reached sufficiantly in order to get them going to watch a movie about strip characters they don’t really know? Within a few weeks, the reach and good usage of all online used supports will be visible and measurable. This campaign is one to keep an eye on!
References:
Wikipedia (n. d.) Branded entertainment [online] available from <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branded_entertainment> [March 2008]
PPN Staff (n. d.) Watchmen supported by Online Branded Entertainment Series [online] available from <http://www.productplacement.biz/200902272994/News/Branded-Entertainment/watchmen-supported-by-online-branded-entertainment-series.html> [27 February 2009]
Elsbeth Eilander (n. d.) Branded entertainment: Watch Men [online] available from <http://www.molblog.nl/bericht/branded-entertainment-watch-men/> [27 February 2009]
Sara Kimberley (n. d.) Microsoft teams up with Paramount to promote Watchmen film [online] available from <http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/883028/Microsoft-teams-Paramount-promote-Watchmen-film/> [20 February 2009]
Elsbeth Eilander (n. d.) Branded entertainment: Watch Men [online] available from <http://www.molblog.nl/bericht/branded-entertainment-watch-men/> [27 February 2009]
Sara Kimberley (n. d.) Microsoft teams up with Paramount to promote Watchmen film [online] available from <http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/883028/Microsoft-teams-Paramount-promote-Watchmen-film/> [20 February 2009]
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