Viral Marketing
Villiers Park: Contemporary British Film
Viral Marketing
 Originally, viral marketing referred to word of mouth advertising...
   one person tells all their friends, who in turn tell all their friends,
   and so on. In practice, this rarely worked out well.
 With the development of the Internet, suddenly more viable...
   You don't have to know your consumer personally to reach
   them with a blog, video, or web page.
   Word of mouth can reach 100s, perhaps 1000s, the moment
   someone hits the post button, it’s instant.
Good Viral Marketing

Ideally, a viral ad does not seem like an ad at all...
The most successful viral marketing technique is to make
something entertaining that people will want to share..
Making something people want to share and giving them easy
access to do so, helps make campaigns successful.
In the Film Industry, viral marketing appears in many forms...

  Emails / e-Cards

  Websites

  Flash Games

and in the last few years...

  MySpace, Facebook, Youtube, Bebo etc...
The Social Networks
               Share with your friends!
               MySpace Transformers takeover homepage...
                 MySpace homepage given a Transformers
                 theme.
    myspace      “Choose your side” campaign; themes your
                 myspace page with Autobots or Decepticons
               Facebook Fan Pages...
                 Sending Updates directly to their “fans”
                 Facebook homepage

    facebook   Movie Clips exclusive to each site.
2007, JJ Abrahams announced
the website for his new film
project.. ‘1-18-08.com’

 featuring photos of party guests,
 destroyed boats missing posters
 and mysterious remains of some
 kind of creature.
Next, a website for fictional Japanese drinks
company, ‘Slusho’, owned by Tagruato Corp.

  ‘Slusho’ also appears in US TV drama, Alias;
  another JJ Abrahams production.

  The company that main character, Rob Hawkins
  is leaving New York to work for.

  Website mentions discovering a “deep sea
  ingredient”.. starting to build a hype about has
  caused the events in the upcoming film.
News Reports are leaked on the internet
following an attack on their drilling rig, just
off the coast of New York.

  Footage shows, debris flying out of the water as
  workers flee...
  ...something supernatural??

  News reports start to give a visual tease that starts
  to build a possible background story for the film.

  Director, Matt Reeves when asked about the
  marketing campaign said...
  “The Internet sort of stories and connections and clues
  are, in a way, a prism and they're another way of looking
  at the same thing. To us, it's just another exciting aspect
  of the storytelling”
Interactive Content
 Marketing for british film
 ‘Shifty” (2008) was criticised for its
 use of Viral Marketing..
 Website allowed you to “Stitch Up
 A Mate”, sending them an email to
 imply they are being investigated
 for drug use
 Advertising Standards Agency
 banned the campaign ruling that
 “Stitch Up A Mate” was “distressing
 and irresponsible” as it was not
 made clear that it was a prank and
 was an advertising material.
Teaser Trailer
Villiers Park: Contemporary British Film
What is a teaser trailer?
 A “Teaser Trailer” or “Teaser” is a short trailer advertising an
 upcoming film.
 Unlike typical trailers, Teasers are very short (between 30-60
 seconds)
 Usually contain very little, if any, actual footage from the film.
 Often released in cinema trails and online a long time in advance
 of the film, sometimes over a year.
How do they work?

Less to tell the audience of any content of a film, but to let them
know something/it’s coming.
Lack of information/content entices the audience into wanting to
know more... “teasing” them.
Often a simple, original and inventive idea is the key...
Star Trek
The Hills Have Eyes 2
Discuss

Discuss recent advertising campaigns that you have seen..
Where have you seen them?
Was it very obvious, or more descrete advertising?
Did it give a lot of information or did it leave a lot of gaps?
Your Teaser Trailers

 Keep It Simple
 Be Creative
 What Information are you going to give and hold back?
 Storyboard and Plan well.

Viral Marketing Keynote

  • 1.
    Viral Marketing Villiers Park:Contemporary British Film
  • 2.
    Viral Marketing Originally,viral marketing referred to word of mouth advertising... one person tells all their friends, who in turn tell all their friends, and so on. In practice, this rarely worked out well. With the development of the Internet, suddenly more viable... You don't have to know your consumer personally to reach them with a blog, video, or web page. Word of mouth can reach 100s, perhaps 1000s, the moment someone hits the post button, it’s instant.
  • 3.
    Good Viral Marketing Ideally,a viral ad does not seem like an ad at all... The most successful viral marketing technique is to make something entertaining that people will want to share.. Making something people want to share and giving them easy access to do so, helps make campaigns successful.
  • 4.
    In the FilmIndustry, viral marketing appears in many forms... Emails / e-Cards Websites Flash Games and in the last few years... MySpace, Facebook, Youtube, Bebo etc...
  • 5.
    The Social Networks Share with your friends! MySpace Transformers takeover homepage... MySpace homepage given a Transformers theme. myspace “Choose your side” campaign; themes your myspace page with Autobots or Decepticons Facebook Fan Pages... Sending Updates directly to their “fans” Facebook homepage facebook Movie Clips exclusive to each site.
  • 10.
    2007, JJ Abrahamsannounced the website for his new film project.. ‘1-18-08.com’ featuring photos of party guests, destroyed boats missing posters and mysterious remains of some kind of creature.
  • 11.
    Next, a websitefor fictional Japanese drinks company, ‘Slusho’, owned by Tagruato Corp. ‘Slusho’ also appears in US TV drama, Alias; another JJ Abrahams production. The company that main character, Rob Hawkins is leaving New York to work for. Website mentions discovering a “deep sea ingredient”.. starting to build a hype about has caused the events in the upcoming film.
  • 12.
    News Reports areleaked on the internet following an attack on their drilling rig, just off the coast of New York. Footage shows, debris flying out of the water as workers flee... ...something supernatural?? News reports start to give a visual tease that starts to build a possible background story for the film. Director, Matt Reeves when asked about the marketing campaign said... “The Internet sort of stories and connections and clues are, in a way, a prism and they're another way of looking at the same thing. To us, it's just another exciting aspect of the storytelling”
  • 14.
    Interactive Content Marketingfor british film ‘Shifty” (2008) was criticised for its use of Viral Marketing.. Website allowed you to “Stitch Up A Mate”, sending them an email to imply they are being investigated for drug use Advertising Standards Agency banned the campaign ruling that “Stitch Up A Mate” was “distressing and irresponsible” as it was not made clear that it was a prank and was an advertising material.
  • 15.
    Teaser Trailer Villiers Park:Contemporary British Film
  • 16.
    What is ateaser trailer? A “Teaser Trailer” or “Teaser” is a short trailer advertising an upcoming film. Unlike typical trailers, Teasers are very short (between 30-60 seconds) Usually contain very little, if any, actual footage from the film. Often released in cinema trails and online a long time in advance of the film, sometimes over a year.
  • 17.
    How do theywork? Less to tell the audience of any content of a film, but to let them know something/it’s coming. Lack of information/content entices the audience into wanting to know more... “teasing” them. Often a simple, original and inventive idea is the key...
  • 18.
  • 19.
  • 20.
    Discuss Discuss recent advertisingcampaigns that you have seen.. Where have you seen them? Was it very obvious, or more descrete advertising? Did it give a lot of information or did it leave a lot of gaps?
  • 21.
    Your Teaser Trailers Keep It Simple Be Creative What Information are you going to give and hold back? Storyboard and Plan well.