Alyssa Arminio
Audience Research
Blog Summary PaperApril 11, 2008
Blog Summary Paper

11 weeks ago, I was pretty naive when it came to blogging. Sure, I had heard about the growing popularity of these “online journals”, but I thought it was something strictly created for technological people who spent the majority of their time online. After completing the semester long assignment for Audience Research, and creating my very own blog about Movie Marketing Tactics, I have learned that I didn’t know the first thing about blogging.

Starting this project, I didn’t know exactly what a blog was. I thought that they were diaries for people who were too lazy to hand write. I have now learned that it is, in fact, an online journal, but it can be used to serve many purposes. People keep blogs regarding their personal lives, their field of business, their hobbies, technological information or even strong opinions they might feel towards a certain topic. I never realized that there were blogs on virtually every topic imaginable! I didn’t get the opportunity to branch out and explore each field, but I did come across several well-established blogs in the marketing industry alone. I can only imagine the endless amounts that exist on the Internet.

Through this class, I discovered that blogs are a great source of information and a good tool for obtaining research, especially when you are looking for personal opinions. I’ve learned quick ways to access blogs, how to create my own for free and what separates a “good blog” from a “bad blog”. It’s crazy to think, but some people base their professions around this information sharing technique! Something I found extremely interesting was the way in which these bloggers interact with other users. They leave comments, promote other sites and share media such as links and images. Some are also sponsored on, turning blogging into a new form of earning revenue.

As I mentioned before, I spent the semester researching and blogging on Movie Marketing. Looking back over the twenty posts I created, there are some definite “big themes” I can see present in my work. The first recurring theme I kept stumbling across was the idea of using an interactive campaign. From what I read and researched, they have proven to be wildly successful with audiences. One example directly from my blog is the tactics from ‘The Dark Knight’ campaign. One technique involved them reaching out to college campuses to “recruit” members to support the fake election of Harvey Dent, a character from the movie. In a completely opposite approach, the movie ‘Prom Night’ decided to interact with their target audiences in a more “hands-on” way. They hired employees to stand behind cardboard standees and jump out at passerby’s, intending to scare them.

Another big theme I noticed was that advertisers are in constant competition to create the biggest buzz in the industry. They attempt to do so by trying marketing ploys that have not yet been tested. The team behind Dr. Seuss’s ‘Horton Hears A Who’ teamed up with IHOP to create breakfast dishes that were named and created based completely on the storyline. The ‘Hannah Montana’ movie tried to stir excitement by making their theater experience completely 3-D. Traditional movies and marketing approaches are a thing of the past, and advertising that creates word-of-mouth praise is here to stay.

The idea of creating a shock factor was another recurring theme. Catching your audience’s attention in a way that they would never expect has proven to be effective in terms of advertising. To promote ‘Untraceable’, marketers set up an actual website with the URL KillWithMe.com, which is the site that the movie is based around. In the movie, the site shows graphic, live footage of people being tortured and killed, scaring people into thinking that the actual website will contain the same thing. (It doesn’t, obviously.) The movie titled ‘The Happening’ attempted to create shock with a series of graphic and horrifying trailers released nation-wide. The trailers were soon released because they were just “too shocking” for public eyes.

One theme that was evident to me even before this semester assignment was that big names will create big stories. In January, I blogged about the death of Heath Ledger, and the impact his death could have potentially had on the ‘The Dark Knight’s’ campaign. It was easy to find information on this because nearly every entertainment source was discussing this topic that particular week. People thrive to seek out these stories surrounding big celebrities. At the end of the semester, I wrote a blog about another big-named celebrity, Daniel Radcliffe, planning to grace the stage of Broadway, naked. While he is not the first actor to ever appear onstage nude, it is certainly evident that he might be one of the most anticipated.

Lastly, the idea of partnerships and sponsorships was certainly something I encountered while researching on several occasions. The ‘Sex and the City’ movie has already created sponsorships with Skyy Vodka and Houlihans to promote their upcoming project, quite obviously keeping their very specific target audience in mind. ‘Horton Hears a Who’ paired up with American Idol at one point and used their top rated program to plug in trailers and visuals from the animated movie. One trend that certainly abides by this big theme is the idea of partnering with the social networking device Facebook. Facebook allows trailers to be uploaded and shared among friends, while also giving marketers the chance to add their own, specialized applications, much as ‘Indiana Jones’ did when they established the “super-poke”.

Creating and maintaining this blog not only gave me an opportunity to research the field of marketing more in-depth, it helped me track developments in specific campaigns over the course of the semester. I blogged about ‘The Dark Knight’ on at least 3 different occasions, as they continued to create expand their promotions. I also blogged more than once about ‘Horton Hears a Who’ as they experimented with new ways to interact with their target audience.

Even with all of the research I put into this assignment, I still wouldn’t call myself a “pro” in the world of Movie Marketing. However, I did get a much better feel of what is going on today in this field. New and innovative ideas are being tested every day. Successful ones are then being altered and copied repeatedly. Research is constantly being done to develop new media outlets to market through, whether they are online, partnerships, sponsorships or simply unique and interactive. One thing I have definitely noticed is that advertising is becoming a lot less straight forward. Sometimes, the intention of a campaign is not obvious at first glance. Marketers want to leave you curious, urging you to investigate further and learn more for yourself. They are very careful not to give away too much information, because that’s been proven to turn audiences today away.

This project fits in with the Audience Research course because it reaffirms the trends we have studied, proving to us what audiences today are interested in and influenced by. The presentations we did in class about the pros and cons of specific types of marketing related well to the topic of Movie Marketing, because I found myself picking apart specific campaigns, and thinking of different media outlets they could have used to make their promotions stronger. Though I don’t know if this project really prepared me for any job I plan to have in the future, it definitely helped raise my awareness of a trend which I’m sure I will encounter again professionally. Though I don’t know if I could ever find the patience to keep my own blog, I know that I will turn to them in the future for information, research and the opinion of others.

I never have been a big fan of Harry Potter - the books OR the movies. However, it is quite apparent that both have been more than successful over the past few years. Bookstores host parties, stay open until midnight and hold ridiculous prize give-a-ways on the date of Harry Potter releases. When the movies hit theaters, people flock to the midnight premiere, usually dressed in full costume. I really didn't think that much more could be done in terms of marketing these films. I mean honestly, what more could they do?

How about putting Daniel Radcliffe on Broadway.. NAKED!


I was shocked after stumbling across this article on cinematical.com. It's true, Daniel Radcliffe, better known as "Harry Potter", will hit the stage in his birthday suit in September 2008, the same month the next Harry Potter movie is set to be released. Though it doesn't come across as a direct promotional tactic, I find it hard to believe that this is just "coincidence".

To be quite honest, I think it's genius. This boy has been seen as a "heart-throb" to girls everywhere ever since his big break, and this will definitely draw audiences to the city. Pair this up with an incredible movie premiere for the next Harry Potter film, and the buzz in New York City will all revolve around Daniel Radcliffe. I'll have to keep my ears open for more information regarding this story.

Over the weekend, a new thriller was released by Sony Pictures, Screen Gems by the name of "Prom Night". Though I haven't seen it, previews have led me to believe that it depicts one fictional school's night at the prom, which turns into a horrible nightmare. Though the plot sounds lame and predictable - I bet something terrible happens to the prom queen! - I do think their latest marketing tactic is original.

This website describes a stunt put into effect in 120 theaters across the country on the opening night of the movie. Sony Pictures, Screen Gems recruited theater employees at each location to assist them with their plan. They set up "Prom Night" cardboard standees, the kind that most movies use as a marketing tool, but took it a step further. They created the stand to look like the entrance to a prom, complete with swinging doors which peaked the curiosity of viewers wondering what was being hidden. This hilarious YouTube video shows not only the role each employee played in this whole marketing - namely jumping out from behind the "doors" and screaming - but the reaction of those who stepped too close.

I am extremely impressed with this original marketing idea. Interactive advertising is so successful, I'm surprised that another company has not thought to incorporate it into movie theaters. The closest I have seen to something like this is a cardboard standee for "Maid of Honor" which featured heart-throb Patrick Dempsey and a bride whose face was cut out, encouraging people to snap a photo of themselves "marrying Patrick". (I'm 100% guilty of owning this picture.) Advertisements that interact with audiences, no matter where or how, catch attention and encourage positive word-of-mouth "buzz". I'm certain that if someone had jumped out at me, it would have been on my mind for the rest of the night, and I'm sure that's exactly what Sony had hoped for. Their president was quoted saying, “We want people to come away thinking that ‘Prom Night’ is going to be a good, scary movie." I think they were very successful.

The viral marketing for the new Batman thriller just keeps getting more intense! As of Monday, April 1st, another interactive element of the campaign for "The Dark Knight" was added into the mix.

Packages were delivered to the doorsteps of individuals who have been involved in - or following closely - this campaign. What were these "packages"? They were bowling bags stuffed with a Joker-themed bowling ball, a cheap cell phone and a note from The Joker himself. On the bowling ball, there was a name and telephone number engraved. (Sidenote: From my research, it seems that most of the people receiving these packages were aware that they had something coming for them. At first, I thought it was completely random, but it was well-thought out.)

The individual was prompted to use the cell phone to call the number on the ball. After doing so, they would be greeted on the other end of the line with a creepy voice which whispered "We know who you are", and then hung up. The note also gave instructions to visit this website for more information about the package they have received. Once there, they were re-directed to this security website, and asked for specific personal information. Immediately after submitting this, they would receive another call on the cell phone.

This time, the call was from Commissioner Gordon, a character from the movie, informing them that they were involved in a huge set-up. Basically, just their fancy - and expensive - way of saying April Fools!

I don't follow the Batman movies, so I can't figure out the relation of the bowling ball, cell phone and security website to the actual movie, but I do know this campaign is top of the line. Just from browsing the Internet to find more information, I've stumbled across a large handful of blogs raving about it! It seems that the marketers have done a great job of identifying their targeting audience and execuding appropriately.

Paramount is gearing up for the release of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" by implying a few small marketing tactics in well thought-out places. Now, as a result of their latest attempt, you can "super-poke" your friends on the popular site Facebook. What is a "super-poke"? To begin, a "poke" has come to imply a flirtatious invitation. When someone "pokes" you online, it's just a friendly reminder that someone was thinking of you. The team behind Indiana Jones has created this idea of the "super-poke" which, paired together with an image of this character's infamous whip, might seem a bit more scandelous.

I think this was a creative and efficient marketing approach for this movie. First, they didn't add a whole new application on Facebook promoting themselves, their movie or how awesome their cast is. As a Facebook user myself, I can tell you that those are seen as spam and an annoyance. They did, however, just add on to an existing and familiar Facebook feature. This website puts it well; they tapped into existing behavior instead of trying to cultivate a new one. This marketing tactic is non-intrusive and establishes the film in relationship to a familiar concept amongst their target audience. Sounds pretty smart to me.

While Indiana Jones isn't the first movie to use this social networking website as an advertising device, I thought they deserved recognition for a good attempt. The "super-poke" is being sponsored on the Indiana Jones official website, which also is good advertisement for Facebook itself. Win-win situation.

"The Dark Knight" is using one of the most creative campaign tactics that I have yet to discover this semester! Though the Batman movie is not due to be released until mid-July, they are not hesitating to begin creating a buzz amongst their audience. To do this, the marketing team created an idea which is brilliant, in my opinion.

In the film, one of the characters named Harvey Dent - better known to some as the evil villian Two Face - decides he wants to run for district attorney of Gotham City. Though I do not know the exact plot-line, I do know this is a large part of the movie. To play off of this, officials working with "The Dark Knight" have decided to create a fictional election campaign to promote Harvey Dent at obtaining this position.

The article I came across on this website discussed students at Colorado University eager to participate in this marketing stunt. Many individuals participated in the event, though they were 100% aware that Harvey was a make-believe character running for a position of a made-up town. Passerbys would have never known that these students were rallying for a fictional cause. People who were involved in this "campaign" signed petitions, distributed buttons, stuck on bumper stickers, wore t-shirts and paraded around with signs, all in support of Harvey Dent. From the pictures, it seems as if it created quite a scene of excitement and passion.

The event was promoted on this website, which is continually updated with news stories, photos and information about events in the past and future. The "Dentmobile", the vehicle which travels around to the different locations, is tracked on this website, so students can anticipate where the "campaign" is traveling to next. The site also features pictures, blogs and "Dent" downloads. This is important for including the people who don't have the ability to attend these events.

I wish that the "Dentmobile" would stop by this college campus, just so I could get a better feel of how this marketing stunt was functioning. As I mentioned before, I think this idea was genius and incredibly appropriate to the film and it's story.

I saw a commercial today for another marketing tactic being used to promote 20th Century Fox's latest Dr. Seuss movie "Horton Hears a Who".  Brandcurve, the movie's promotional team, has teamed up with IHOP (International House of Pancakes) to create some pretty extravagant menu items, inspired by the adventures of Horton the elephant.  Some of these concoctions - which include breakfast, dessert and beverages - are 'Who-Cakes', 'Beezlenut Splash', 'The Mayor's Breakfast', 'Jojo's Breakfast' and, the obvious, 'Green Eggs and Ham'.

I feel that this marketing approach is geared at the younger audience of this movie, while I felt "Horton At American Idol" - discussed in a previous post - was aimed at more of a teenage crowd.  To me, IHOP has a very family oriented atmosphere, and it serves as a place where parents take their kids as a treat.  Very appropriate placement, in my opinion.

These menu items have been available for a few weeks now.  How successful are they?  Well, in terms of marketing, I would say very.  The movie has gotten great reviews and brought in large revenue.  However, I don't think the menu items will be a permanent addition to the IHOP menu.  In the YouTube video found on this Brandcurve website, a customer proves that 'Horton at IHOP' may be just a bit too sweet for some taste buds.

Whether or not these dishes are actually enjoyed, or even finished, I still support this marketing idea.  I think it's creative, out-of-the-box and, above all else, fun.

I had heard rumors that HBO's hit television show Sex & The City was to be made into a movie right around the time the show aired their final episode, but I have only just now realized it was true. The movie, officially titled "Sex & The City: The Movie" doesn't have a release date yet, but already has a pretty extensive - and creative! - promotional plan underway.

The movie is teaming up with Skyy Vodka during their period of advertising. I think this is a perfect match; a "classy" vodka to promote four "classy" characters and, hopefully, all of the "classy" people who are going to go see the movie. (It's pretty obvious that their main target audience with this project is women.) Right now, the plan is to release a series of online, print and outdoor advertisements which promote both the vodka and the movie.

Starting April 1st, visitors to this website will have a chance to enter a contest through Skyy Vodka to win tickets to attend the Sex & The City Movie's premiere. This costs virtually nothing for film producers and is a great selling point for all women in the target audience. Obviously, I think it's an effective idea.

My favorite part of this campaign, however, is this next part. Skyy Vodka has created five cocktails named after the four women of Sex & The City and, another popular character, "Big". These drinks will be available for purchase at Houlihan's Restaurant and Bars around the nation, bringing another player into this advertising plan. Houlihan's will also be offering other promotional components at their restaurants, for example, "Girls Night Out" packages. Their purpose will be to promote the movie, encourage people to come out for dinner, and enjoy a Skyy cocktail while their out. Pretty clever!

Skyy Vodka will also be featured in the movie, as you could probably assume. For more information, check out the movie's official website. It, too, has a section formatted like a blog; I guess that's the trend these days? It does help answer questions! I don't mind it a bit!

Are writers running out of new and creative ideas? I think one of the newest trends of the film industry is turning big-name Broadway musicals into films. First, there was The Producers. Then, Chicago was released. Next was Rent, then Hairspray, Sweeney Todd, and now I'm hearing rumors of Wicked being produced. Along with all of those, Universal's newest movie project is "Mamma Mia", based on the Broadway musical that features the music of ABBA.

Being a large Broadway fan myself, I do get excited to see these kind of movies. However, I go to see them because of the music. Many people do not associate music with film, and are turned off by this concept. Perhaps that's why their marketing team has to go above and beyond what a normal movie does to promote themselves.

For "Mamma Mia" The Movie, one promotional website (link above) is formatted to look like a blog. It is updated every so often with news, video clips, competitions and audition/casting opportunities. For people who are genuinely interested with this story and familiar with themusical, I feel that this is a great interactive approach to getting more people excited and involved. Though visually the website isn't anything too special, I do feel the abundance of information is useful. For people who are unfamiliar with "Mamma Mia", one visit to this website is sure to answer any lingering or burning questions they may possess.

The website that was solely created for the movie, and has no association with the Broadway show, does look a bit more "spectacular", for lack of a better word. It uses Flash, animation and lots of images and links to draw in a crowd. Also, it plays the movie trailer at the top so you have choice but to watch it. This website is much more appealing to me than the other.

Meryl Streep is set to star in "Mamma Mia" which should hit theaters this summer.

When I was in the city today, I saw something that caught my eye. It was an advertisement on top of a taxi which read "I am so over you Sarah Marshall". It appeared to be in messy handwriting and was extremely simple, as if someone had placed it there overnight to deliver a message to Sarah herself. However, after some investigation online, I have found that messages like this have been appearing everywhere as a promotional vehicle for a new movie called "Forgetting Sarah Marshall".

The signs lead confused viewers back to this website. Apparently, a month ago the URL read "ilovesarahmarshall", and it now reads "ihatesarahmarshall". The website is not typical. In fact, it hardly promotes the actual film at all. It appears to be a blog written by a boy named Peter Bretter - I'm assuming the main character of this movie - and is all about why he hates Sarah Marshall. It is complete with video, character bios, descriptions and dates, but you must read the material to understand what is going on.

I think this is an extremely unique approach to movie marketing. It lets viewers feel as if they are interacting with the characters before they have even seen the film. It also gives people a chance to gain insight on to the plot of the story, preparing them for the film without watching a simple trailer online. I haven't seen everything this site has to offer, but I definitely want to investigate further when I have down time.

On Wednesday night's American Idol, I caught a glimpse of an unusual movie marketing approach. As the program began, an animated skit replaced Ryan Seacrest's usual opening shpeal. I recognized the animated characters as those from the new movie based on Dr. Seuss's childrens book "Horton Hears a Who". The skit showed the characters fumbling with their television set trying to get reception so they could watch, of course, American Idol. (This scene was created just for this event and not actually found in the movie).

I found this strange, and kept watching the show only to see even more marketing ploys placed inside. Well-known actor Jim Carrey, also the voice of Horton in the movie, was present in the audience and was, at one point, even dressed up as his part; an elephant. He sat with the contestants on stage, dancing along as they each sang their number, and got nearly as much camera time as these rising stars. Also, their was a segment of footage showing all of the contestants attending the "Horton Hears a Who" premiere and having a great time.

To me, the audience I perceive as being interested in this movie does not match up with the audience that watches American Idol. I see American Idol-ers as an older audience, and I don't see a lot of teenagers ecstatic over Dr. Seuss. However, a lot of moms and dads do spend Wednesday nights glued in front of the television set, so I suppose it could have been geared at more of a secondary audience. In the end, I do think it was a creative tactic. It eliminates the risk of the advertisement being skipped over or fast forwarded with devices such as Tivo. I'll be sure to keep an eye on the film and see how it did after it's first weekend in theaters.

A few weeks back, I saw a movie that thoroughly disturbed me - to the point where I had trouble falling asleep at night. It was called 'Untraceable', and it was about a murderer who uses technology - more specifically, a website entitled www.KillWithMe.com - to commit his crimes. As more and more people log onto this website, the more tortured one individual becomes, and it can all be viewed online. To be quite honest, it was not only disturbing, but borderline inappropriate.

This movie is being released in the UK this week, and apparently there were some extremely controversial marketing tactics being used to promote it. The first is a Facebook page that mimics the "Kill With Me" website. As more and more Facebook users become "fans" of the page, the more gruesome the torture becomes on one (fictional) person. The next technique is through a site called Seesmic. It pretended that a person disappeared, was found, and now is being held hostage. "Footage" of this person could then be viewed on this site.

The company behind these horrific marketing plots is called Picture Production Company, and interactive marketing company run by Dan Light. Much to their dismay, both promotional tools were removed off the internet. Light's reaction? He claims that he anticipated this and has back up techniques planned already. He admitted he knew that he was "pushing boundaries".

My question is, in the world of marketing, how far is "too far"? If Dan Light knew that his ideas were going to be shot down, unappreciated and removed, then why did he bother? Was it for the buzz, even if it was negative? My only hope is that both web sources had age safeguards and were not viewed by anyone who was deeply disturbed by them.

I found something interesting after skimming over this website this morning. It was in regards to Facebook, which is a social networking site that most college students log into multiple times a day. Movie marketers have now jumped on the "Facebook Bandwagon" and created a tool to help make their jobs a little easier.

"Film on Facebook" is a new Facebook application that has recently been developed as a tool that can be added to an individuals profile page. It allows for the creation, release and distribution of promotional content related to film. It is a free application that can be retrieved with the click of a button, and once one individual adds it, it can be viewed by anyone who visits their page. "Film on Facebook" is free, provides clips and trailers, distributes movie reviews and assists with ticket purchases. To me, it sounds like a smaller scaled version of Moviefone with a large emphasis on the college aged demographic.

Creators behind this application say that they are still brainstorming and exploring more possible marketing opportunities (Entertainment related, of course) to release in the near future.

Josh Catone, from Read/Write Web, states that this new application is made primarily for smaller studios and film writers looking to make creation and promotion of trailers easy and accessible. This means that it has not yet branched out to the big names... yet. They do have hopes that Facebook will be a long-lived site, allowing for expansion of applications such as "Film on Facebook" which could eventually appeal to even the largest film studios.

I'm going to download this application right now!

Sticking with a Will Farrell theme, I've been inspired by the marketing currently being executed for his new movie "Semi-Pro". Though I saw one of the genius advertisements during the Superbowl, I didn't think much of it until I researched it a bit online.




What the marketing team has done for this movie is an entirely new concept and approach towards promotion, and something I have never before seen. They are marketing products - in this particular case, Bud Light beer and Old Spice deodorant - by using a character whom, in turn, markets a movie. The character? Jackie Moon, portrayed by Will Farrell. Though I haven't yet seen the movie, I can already tell he is a "guy's guy", which is why these are appropriate items for him to be advertising. These commercials aired during the Superbowl and continue to play on Network Television.

If you missed the clips, they can be viewed online at AdGabber or at Old Spice's website. They are quite appealing and humorous, which I feel perfectly matches the expectations of this movie. They caught my attention and, after perusing a few online blogs, the attention of many others, leaving an impact without giving any real movie details. To me, that's quite an accomplishment for any marketing team.

I recently came across a movie poster for a film called Step Brothers which isn't even being promoted yet. Here is the visual that caught my attention.


You might ask, if this movie isn't being marketed yet, then why am I writing about it on a movie marketing blog? The answer is simple. Though I haven't seen one commercial, trailer or advertisement for this movie (besides this simple visual) I already know I am going to see it. And, I can almost guarantee it's going to be a hit.

I believe that one of the most effective forms of marketing is being executed with this movie - association with a hit celebrity. I mean, who can honestly say that they've ever been let down by a Will Farrell movie? He is currently starring in a movie that is hitting theaters now called "Semi-Pro". Most people only know that it's a Will Farrell movie about dodgeball, and not much more. However, they anticipate it's release and will definitely purchase tickets. This poster screams "comedy"; from Will's face to his argyle sweater. I know nothing about it and I'm already laughing.

Will has established such a successful, credible and humorous career, that his name markets his work itself. Some movies probably wish they had it so easy.

I'll keep you updated as I hear more about this film, as I'm sure many of you out there are just as excited as I am.

After reading this article, I have a feeling that those working in the movie marketing industry are about to see big changed in advertising on the Internet.

Marissa Mayer, the Vice President of search product and user experience for Google, the world famous search engine, has finally established a new approach at earning revenue from marketing. In the past, typing information into the search engine has only brought up text related to the subject of your inquiry. Last year, Google established "universal search" which integrated images, videos and news stories in to this mix. With $16 billion of Google's revenues coming in from advertising, Mayer has now taken this thought of a "universal search" to a new level and invited movie producers in on the deal.

For no extra fee, movie trailers will now come up after Google searches. However, the search must directly relate to the movie for this to happen. For example, if a user typed in "Golf", any upcoming movies involving golfing might appear.

The biggest concern at Google was that the visuals would clutter the page, and distract viewers from the classic textual look of the site. To solve this, they have decided to use a small plus sign, instead of a visual, which can be clicked to play the trailer.

Personally, I think this is a genius idea. Google serves as many people's main source of getting information. By promoting and marketing movies on the site, it's sure to get across to people efficiently, quickly and effectively.

A few weeks ago, I saw a trailer online for M. Night Shyamalan's newest movie "The Happening" online which really caught my attention with it's disturbing material. Remembering this, I searched online to find it, only to find that Fox 20th Century has requested it's removal from every media outlet there is. Apparently, the "mass suicide" sequence portrayed in it was too graphic for unsuspecting audiences and had little to do with the plot line of the actual story.

I can't help but wonder if this is an attempt to stir up media buzz by Shyamalan himself in an attempt to save his reputation after a few box office disasters. Though his movies usually get a lot of hype, that isn't always matched with satisfaction by viewers. Personally, as a scary movie lover myself, I was thoroughly disappointed with his last release "Lady in the Water". I can honestly say it was one of the worst films I've ever sat through. However, because of his edgy plotlines, different ways of thinking and completely unpredictable endings, I know I will go see "The Happening". Is this a personal decision, or is it an affect of great movie marketing and a build up of suspension?

I guess we'll never know.

How do you market a movie that's only going to be in theaters for a week? Disney thinks they've got it down. Pair up teen sensation Miley Cyrus (better known as Hannah Montana) and put her on the big screen in 3-D, and fans will come running.

Last weekend, tweens spent $31.3 million to get a chance to see "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" which was only available for a very "limited time" in theaters nationwide. It set a record for a movie opening on SuperBowl Weekend, which is quite an astonishing feat for a movie targeted at such a narrow audience. But, how did they do it?

Dan Smith, marketing professor at Indiana University states that "When you create that kind of buzz and combine it with scarcity, you're going to drive up demand. It strikes me as not much different from a rock concert." It also helps that Disney has established such a credible franchise, and has sole ownership over an entire television channel where they can market and advertise events such as this repeatedly.

Disney has now given theaters the right to keep this movie/concert in theaters for as long as they'd like, based on it's enormous success. Even though I'm almost 20 years old, I will still admite I am a large Miley fan. I haven't gotten the chance to experience this 3-D adventure yet, but perhaps sometime in the near future I will.

The past few times I have been to the movies, I have been intrigued by previews and artwork promoting a movie called "Wall-E" that is set to be released during the summer of 2008. Though marketing for this site has been around for a few months now, the only real piece of information I have gathered is that the plotline revolves around some sort of futuristic robot.

After doing some research online, I have found that the team behind "Wall-E" is using a viral-marketing approach in an attempt to spread buzz about this production. This website promotes a fictional superstore, similar to a Wal-Mart or Target, which is supposedly featured in "Wall-E" (which takes place in the year 2700). Though this site gives absolutely no information or insight on what exactly "Wall-E" is about, it does offer a bit of background history on the time period and what style the movie is done in. To be completely honest, I was thoroughly impressed while perusing through the site. A lot of time was put into it, and every link leads you to an elaborate or humorous article. It makes it look like "Buy N Large" could be a real store.

I am curious to see where the movie marketers go from here with this movie. Typically, I don't think that not releasing any information is a very effecting marketing approach, but it definitely raises curiousity. (For example, the movie "Cloverfield"). I'll keep an eye open for more about "Wall-E" and keep you all updated.

It was recently announced that J.J. Abrams will co-write, direct and produce the 11th 'Star Trek' film.  While 'Star Trek XI' might not necessarily be my movie of choice, I do predict there will be a large amount of hype preceding this film.

Paramount has already begun their marketing for this event.  Using the designation of the Enterprise as it's URL address, www.NCC-1701.com is already up and running as a promotional tool.  The website is extremely unique.  It is completely unbranded, not once mentioning 'Star Trek'.  There are four screens that are set up to look like security monitors, giving glimpes of what to expect from XI.

J.J. Abrams recently directed 'Cloverfield', another movie with several outstanding promotional techniques.  I'm more anxious to see how he handles his marketing with 'Star Trek' than I am to actually go and see the film after it's released.  However, this time, he is not the creator of the story and I do suppose he won't have as much imaginative freedom.

Only time will tell.

Over the past few days, it's been hard to turn on a television without hearing about the tragic passing of well-known actor Heath Ledger. He was found unconscious in his apartment building on the 23rd, and he passed away shortly after. For someone who was so successful and so young, this truly is the worst that could happen.

I chose to blog about this event after stumbling across a headline that jumped out at me. How would you market a movie with a dead star?, Radar Online asks it's readers of the new Batman film "The Dark Knight" in which Ledger stars. It caught my attention first because it did, in fact, discuss movie marketing, which is the subject of my blog. After reading it again however, I was disturbed at how casually it mentioned death. "Dead star". Seems like they could have been a bit more sympathetic.

However, it does raise a good point. How do you market a movie in which millions of dollars were invested after one of it's lead actors has passed away? Do you even market it at all? Or would cancelling the production be the best option?

Warner Brothers has a big decision to make concerning this "iffy" topic. The article mentions that they were planning to go international with "The Dark Knight's" marketing, which might not be appropriate now. They do raise a good point, however, in saying that despite how it's advertised, people are going to go see it anyway. Now, probably, more than ever in honor and memory of Ledger.

This truly is a sticky situation, and I'm curious what decisions Warner Brothers will make in the long run. It's definitely a topic I'm going to keep a close eye on, and I'll keep updating on here.

Welcome to my page! Over the course of the next few months, we will be looking further into some great - or not so great - campaigns in movie marketing.