Will Ferrel has been known to push the envelope when it comes to marketing stunts. He's been both the PA announcer and security guard at NBA games, conducted interviews only in Spanish for his "Casa de mi Padre" film, and hosted a full SportsCenter as legendary Ron Burgundy. As most of you know, the sequel to Anchorman is coming to theaters this December, and Will Ferrell has stated that he has produced more content meant for digital and social media than for any film before.
Though fictional, these characters have been played off successfully in real-life scenarios like talk shows and commercials, and are simply so absurd and diverse that I don't think you can know what to expect next, only to expect a lot. Paramount has made a partnership with Tumblr, who has been seeding social media channels with short small videos of the characters that are not part of the film. Ferrell and Paramount are also using social media to run a casting call to join the anchorman crew. People can audition for positions of anchor (#TeamRon), meterologist (#TeamBrick), sportscaster (#TeamChamp) and live reporter (#TeamBrian). Bloggers have posted video of screen tests and outtakes, and some auditions will be promoted through Burgundy's social media accounts.
This effort has really extended the possibilities of movie marketing on social media. By this, I do not refer so much to the creativity of the campaign, though again the characters do allow for a lot flexibility, but more so the sheer volume of activities and ways they are reaching audiences. They are incorporating videos, faux articles/news stories, audience participation, and surely other things we do not know yet. Studios will be looking at these efforts of a model of what to do... or not to do, depending on the success and ROI. This campaign works because the actors seem happy and wanting to participate, likely containing costs. However, this could be a case where incremental sales may not be enough to warrant the extent of the campaign. That remains to be seen when Anchorman 2 hits theaters in December.
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