It's the perfect match of medium, movie and audience.
Universal Pictures has launched a virtual/augmented reality mobile app to promote the upcoming remake of "The Thing," which opens Friday.
(Haven't seen the original? Catch this hilarious 'Thing-in-4-min' video to a ersatz Sinatra tune.)
The app's free, of course, and sports 360-degree flamethrower action where players must use their weapons to survive attacks. There's even one of those "Thing Yourself" features where you can see your mug mutilated from the inside out - and share it with your freaked out friends.
Not surprisingly, the app comes from metaio, which is making a big name for itself in this space.
A nice way to get the film's young, mobile fan base fired up for more.
As one of my readers put it, "It's the THING for Halloween!"
Tags: advertising, ar, augmented, branded, branding, entertainment, games, gaming, ipad, iPhone, john carpenter, marketing, movies, reality, the thing
Posted in Creative Best Practices, Emerging Platforms, Entertainment, Social Media, Video, Wireless | No Comments »
The marketing team behind a new movie about infectious disease hopes its advertising campaign becomes a viral sensation.
To that end, Warner Bros. is promoting its new Steve Soderbergh movie "Contagion" with a billboard made of bacteria.
I'm not totally sure what the impact is on passersby - probably pretty arresting - but this seems custom built to generate online buzz.
Either way, I suddenly feel the urge wipe down my entire office.
What's your take? Creepy - or a totally en-gross-ing initiative?
Read all about it here.
Tags: advertising, bacteria, billboard, branding, contagion, content, entertainment, marketing, movies, ooh, outdoor
Posted in Creative Best Practices, Emerging Platforms, Entertainment | No Comments »
The launch of Google TV is upon us, and while it's become clear that Google is developing two new platforms, pundits are only focusing on one when discussing the Google TV. Here's what they're missing.
Tags: apps, entertainment, google, google tv, technology, trends, Video
Posted in Emerging Platforms, Opinions, Video | 3 Comments »
This week, Microsoft held a Red Carpet-style Hollywood event to unveil a cast of entertainment features for its Bing search portal. It's a smart move for Bing, which would do well to distinguish itself as a trusted, one-stop search shop for music, television, movies, and gaming information.
Here are some highlights of Bing's new entertainment features (you can find full details in the official Bing Blog post):
Step up your engagement! Don't miss out on the latest tips for capturing the attention of the new media audience. Attend iMedia's Entertainment Marketing Summit, June 29 in Santa Monica, Calif. Request your invitation today.
Music
Bing now provides instant lyric answers for top songs and points searchers toward upcoming local concerts and venue information. Searchers will also find photos, videos, and even tour dates for their favorite acts at Bing.com. In addition, Bing has partnered with Zune to offer full-length, single-play streams of more than 5 million songs (30-second previews are offered after the first play), and also offers a direct connection to purchase and download songs from Zune, iTunes, and Amazon.com MP3.
Movies
Any search engine can help movie fans find local listings, but the new Bing integrates Bing Maps to help searchers plan their... Read more
Tags: bing, entertainment, games, Microsoft, movies, music, Search, social, TV
Posted in Search | No Comments »
Is a TV commercial better in :30-seconds or 5 minutes?
DumbDumb's new online series "dirty shorts" for Orbitz Gum is just the latest in the field of "branded entertainment." And its first short - "The Prom Date" - is extremely well acted, well directed and well produced. Starring Jason Batemen and Will Arnett, the powers behind DumbDumb, and Ben Silverman's Electus, it has the look of a "Arrested Development"-quality sitcom - from which Bateman and Arnett hail.
But "Prom Date" itself is less branded entertainment than it is a five-minute commercial. It literally could be :30 long and deliver the same punch. Sure, the conceit - Orbits helps you deal with dirty situations, leaving a clean taste in your mouth - probably wouldn't fly on TV. But it seems made explicitly to sell the product just as any TV spot would do.
To borrow an adage from another sitcom, "not that there's anything wrong with that."
But when you look at branded entertainment like "The Motherhood" from Suave and Sprint, or "The Rookie" from Degree, or BMW's "The Hire" there's entertainment beyond just being a pitch. In those efforts, the product was part of the natural action. In "Prom Date," the entire set up... Read more
Tags: arnett, bateman, ben, branded, date, dumbdumb, electus, entertainment, jason, prom, silverman, will
Posted in Creative Best Practices | 1 Comment »
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