Analysis Of "Avatar's" Marketing Campaign

As we all know the movie "Avatar" was and still is hugely successful, grossing the biggest box office figures and redefining the levels of technology within the film industry, but was it the technology, storyline and anticipation that made the film a hit or was it the Marketing Campaign which gave birth to one of the most successful films of all time?

Much like the rest of "Avatar" lots of money was pushed into the marketing of the film to insure its complete success, with the high budget given to the film it was able to use many methods of marketing to build hype and demand for the film.

The list of marketing methods used by 20th century FOX to promote "Avatar" is endless but some of the main and most effective methods are:

- A 16 minuet teaser shown in 100 IMAX 3D Theatres

- The release of the "Avatar" game made by Ubisoft

- "Avatar" inspired action figures

- A Facebook based online chat named "Avatar Online" with around 1.3 million viewers
- The use of other social media pages such as MySpace and Twitter
- An Official Website
- Interactive Trailers
- A brand of toys that activate when placed before a webcam

As can be seen 20th Century FOX really pushed the advertisement for the film, which considering the investment they made to make the film is no surprise, they creating many new untried methods of marketing which clearly was a success in the whole and they used main sneaky tactics to further increase the awareness the film had.

One example of this is method they used to give social media users the chance to listen to the films soundtrack, the method they used was this. By Re-tweeting, liking or forwarding a Post about the film you would unlock the soundtrack to listen to, this tactic was hugely rewarding for both the company and fans which thus created huge "word to mouth" advertising.

Analysing Aliens Marketing

During this post I will analyse the title and trailer of a film to identify it's success as well as what it reveals to the audience which views them.

The film I will be analysing is "Aliens"

Title

The Title "Aliens" is about as clear as you can get, not only does it literally sum up he whole movie in one word but it also links into the previous and later films such as "Alien".

As said earlier, with a title as clear and simple as "Aliens" its hard not to attract viewers, its connection not only to the "Alien" series but to the "Predator" series to means they already have a strong fan base however to new consumers the simplicity can be of aid.

The Word "Alien" alone may not tell the story or bring extra understanding but with the past films it alone can attract the majority of views the film will get but they will loss out on potential viewers as well.

If unaware of the pervious films the title could be misleading or clear depending on who viewed the title, it clearly leans towards Mystery but horror is unclear from the title.

Trailer

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi368744473/

After watching the trailer for "Aliens" it is clearly impossible to misread the genre in which it stays as all aspects point towards a fantasy/horror film. The trailer, much like the title, is clear and simple in constructing the audiences representation of the genre.

Camera Work

The quick switch's between close and mid shots help to keep the viewer confused and on edge, much like many horror films this tactic is used to enhance the viewers fear and make them jumpy, this tactic when within trailers also helps to keep the story hidden while revealing the overall plot.

Unlike "Warm Bodies" this trailer is designed to not revel much but to still attract viewers, it does this by using non liner clips in quick sequences.

Sound

Much like the camera work, the sound is quick and jumpy (focusing mainly on mid to close up shots so that the viewers feel more involved) to add to the fear and confusion the viewers feel, this is often used within the trailers of fast paced horror films.

Mise-En-Scene

The costumes used within the trailer are ones which not only suit the plot but can be identifiable to people if they are a fan of the previous films, that along with the dark, close spaced and confined areas which are shown throughout the trailer, create a stereotypical feel to the film.

The Overall Trailer

I feel on the whole, the trailer for "Aliens" is one that heavily conforms to the stereotype of fantasy/horror genre and is almost completely aimed at reaching the pre-existing fans of the series.

The target audience, I believe, would be between 25 to 40 and males.

The trailer doesn't heavily focus on unique selling points, rather repeat viewings, trying to get as many fans to view the film as possible.

The USP's

The number of Unique Selling Points for "Aliens" is limited but still strong in quality.

Some of the USP's are:

- Strong named Actors/Actresses

- Part of a successful series

- Hugely strong fan base.

Analysing Warm Bodies Marketing

During this post I will analyse the title and trailer of a film to identify it's success as well as what it reveals to the audience which views them.




The film I will be analysing is "Warm Bodies"

Title

"Warm Bodies" is a modern Zombie film which plays off the "normal" stereotype of the genre but adds a unique romantic and soft side  which before had little presence or belonging in the genre. The film puts a Romeo and Juliet style relationship into a apocalyptic world, challenging not only the characters but the world they live on.

The title "Warm Bodies" reveals a lot about the film itself, from the genre to potential audiences.

The word "Warm" is often thought of as comforting or pleasant, the use of such a word in this title helps to show the softer side of the film and how it defers from the normal zombie flick, this shows that the audience may also differ from the male orientated audience of zombie films, it gives the possibility of larger female viewers.

"Bodies" can clearly be related to the Zombie aspect of the film but can also point towards a mystery/horror element within the film.

The overall title of the film suggests that although it keeps to the unwritten "Rules" of a zombie film it still can attract a large audience of mixed age and genre, I feel mainly however the film is aged at 18 to 25 year olds of mixed gender and tastes.

Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07s-cNFffDM


I feel that the trailer (#1) of "Warm Bodies" further pushes the ideas I presented in analysing the title and this proves that the title was designed to provide the audience with a basic understanding of the films intent and genre.

Camera Work

Throughout the trailer, which is non liner, they use a range of basic but telling camera techniques to further the viewers understanding of the plot. For example the strong use of close up and two shots used to display "R", the male lead, and "Julie" ,the female lead, show how they are growing closer and have a connection, this shows the romantic and sometimes humours side of the film, Were as the long shots and long pans helping to show the hordes stick to the conventions of a horror zombie film.

Sound

The use of Dialogue in the form of a commentary takes up the largest section of the trailer, this technique is seen in other successful comedy zombie films such as "Zombieland" and I feel viewers subconsciously connect these similarities.

Other techniques using sound include the action-like music which is common in many zombie movies.

Editing

The fast pace cuts and shots help to conform to the stereotype of zombie horror film allowing fans (Mainly male fans) to identify it is still a zombie based film but the few slow, extended shots help viewers to see the romantic connection between the main characters.

Mise-En-Scene

Although the costumes of the characters are much like what is seen in most horror zombie films, the use of bright colours like "R's" red hoodie brings "Life" to the zombies, which is the main plot.

lighting and setting are both extremely heavily used in the trailer as it shows the dark and close spaced areas we all remember from zombie films in the past.

The Overall Trailer

I think that the trailer really focuses on attracting the large young adolescent consumers as not only does it push stereotype zombie movie to attract the male viewers but it also shows the comic and romantic side for the female viewers. Also the trailer heavily reveals its USP's in it being a almost new twist on a once thought to be completely horror genre film.

The USP's

There are many USP's shown within the trailer but all, I feel, are used to attract both male and female viewers, and id successful it could gross larger viewing figures.

Some of the USP's are:

- New Genre "Romantic Horror?"

- strong use of colour for genre

- Unique adaption of old plot (Romeo & Juliet)

My Research On Film Trailers

What Is A Film Trailer?

A film Trailer is a promotional video created alongside a film to advertise and create awareness for it.

Why Are They Made?

The main purpose of a film trailer is to boost future viewers through increased awareness and demand.

How Do They Work?

Film Trailers often use the best parts or funny moments within a film and play them in a montage-like sequence to quickly make viewers want to see the film.

Where Do We See Them?

We as the audience see and consume trailers all the time but mainly they are shown through the use of; TV, Social Media, Pre-screening Within Cinemas and on billboard screens.

When Are They Released?

There is no set time for a trailers release and often they vary from 1 month to 6 months before the films release date, this gives them time to reach a large number of consumers and boost future viewing figures.

Who Are Trailers Aimed At?

Trailers are generally aimed at the same target audience of which the film is aimed at, this allows them to best reach possible viewers. Different types of people like different sorts of films and while everyone is a individual there are certain aspects that will appeal to large groups.

How Do Trailers Help To Fill Cinemas?

although there are many ways in which trailers attract viewers, the main and most important reason why and how trailers attract people to the cinema is because they are designed to show off a films USP's (Unique Selling Point)

Marketing Campaigns

The "marketing campaign" for a film is the different ways in which the films message to potential audiences are conveyed and the forms in which they are conveyed through.

What Are The Major Elements To A Marketing Campaign?

- There are many elements in which the marketing campaign includes but the main elements are; Trailers, Text, Posters, Social Media, YouTube, Official Websites, Games & Quizzes, Magazine Articles, etc.

Where Might Different Elements Be Found? 

- Different parts of the marketing campaign will be found in multiple areas, for example some of the places marketing campaigns may be found are; On The Internet, TV, Print Media, Cinema Walls, Cinema Screens, Commercial Vehicles, Billboards, etc.

What Factors Make Audiences Want To View A Film?

Everyone is unique and effected by different factors but mainly the factors that effect an audiences want to view a film are; Actors and Actresses, Genre, Reviews, Adaptations, Sequels and Prequels, Word to Mouth, etc.

Our A2 Course (Next Steps)

During our A2 unit we will be focusing mainly on Trailers and Posters, thus it would make sense to learn and research more about them. My next steps will be to undertake some research on both, gather examples and analyse them.

A2 Media Brief

Currently I am preparing to start my A2 course in media which will be completed at the end of year 13. For our A2 media studies coursework we must:

(Brief)
Create a promotion package for a new film, to include a trailer together with a film magazine and a poster for the film.

From this brief, we will produce:
- A media portfolio, comprising of main and ancillary texts
AND
- A presentation of our research, planning and evaluation onto our blogger pages.