| The Power Of The Silver
Screen
When harnessing the power of the silver
screen, make sure the value of the brand and movie
is built into every level, says Unmissable managing
director Oliver Duval.
There’s no disputing the power of linking up
with the hottest movie release. It can be a hugely
effective tie-in for a brand, especially if the movie
breaks the box office sales and is the biggest hit
of the year.
That’s why the movie promotion is an area of
such huge growth today. In fact there can be arguably
be almost as much time and effort put into developing
the promotions as there is in creating a Hollywood
blockbuster. From merchandising, prize promotions,
point of purchase and product placement through to
sponsorship, advertising deals and celebrity link-ups.
Each year, new ground is broken in this sector. A
good example is last year’s film sensation,
The Da Vinci Code. The movie’s huge promotional
tie-up with Eurostar is believed to have resulted
in the biggest online promotional competition run
to date.
The long-awaited Bond movie was always going to be
another hot promotional property, and Ford was quick
to link up in a deal designed to drive more people
into its dealerships.
Both Eurostar and Ford undoubtedly gained huge brand
awareness through their association but they fell
down on not dovetailing their prize promotions into
the great movie plots offered by both films.
Eurostar ran the perfect competition mechanic of
“breaking the code” to win – this
obviously worked directly into the film but then it
was lost on me how the huge selection prizes were
relevant: cash, VIP personal shopping trips, free
travel on Eurostar and Sony Playstations, to name
a few, were all great prizes but what’s the
connection?
Likewise Ford offered a rash of prizes but in the
main they were branded goods and, although they fulfilled
a “mass winner” strategy effectively,
I can’t help but feel that not finding a more
direct link into the Bond movie itself would have
offered a little more, if only to make it stand out.
As a prize creator and provider, we are usually brought
in on a movie promotion after the brand and movie
have forged the alliance. Huge emphasis will, rightly,
have been placed on the relationship between the brand
and the movie. But what all too often happens is that
the same emphasis is not placed on the prize promotion
element.
The prize plays a key role in cementing the promotional
relationship and ensuring that what is offered represents
the values of both movie and brand. Our first port
of call on any movie prize package is to have a full
understanding of the movie and the locations involved
so that what we offer holds audience appeal and direct
relevance.
Movie location holidays, movie excursions as part
of city breaks, premiere red carpet experiences are
always hugely popular prizes where the relevance is
strong. It’s also worth remembering that these
types of prizes not only work for brands officially
linked to the movie but can also be developed as prizes
for other brands that fit well with the film profile
or target audience.
There is no disputing the power of linking up with
the hottest movie releases. As a brand it can add
an association to an experience and perception that,
if done well, with every element directly linked in,
can open your product up to both existing and new
customers with potential well beyond the silver screen.
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