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Better Than Hot, Buttered Popcorn Around here, we fight the dog days of August at the movies. Nothing takes your mind off the stifling Texas heat and humidity (not to mention politics) like the latest blockbuster. But I, for one, still miss the old drive-ins, especially the concession-stand ads. After all, who can resist a good subliminal hamburger? Of course, special effects and rich media have come a long way since then. A very long way. And some of our clients are powering a new generation of cool technology that delivers rich media like never before. And that's good news for those of us in the ad industry, where we're always looking for new ways to keep our audiences engaged. We hope you enjoy the latest issue of EP. In the meantime, grab yourself a refreshing beverage or a tasty pickle! Enjoy the show, Steve |
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Don't Forget Your Krusty-O's and Milk! Diane McKinnon, SVP, Managing Partner So what are the studios doing to promote their summer blockbusters, and how are we ad agencies diving in to help? Well, the promos are as diverse as the movies. And cross-promotion is the key. How about completely re-branding a dozen 7-Eleven convenience stores across the country to bring to life the animated Kwik-E-Mart from The Simpsons Movie? Squishee, mmm. And have you seen how many grown-ups are proudly displaying their Simpsons avatar in their office or cubicle? (Ok, I am one of them.) Or completely crushing perfectly good cars to sell Chevrolets and drive people to the Transformers movie? (Of course, the Transformers themselves are Chevy/GM branded.) The Transformers Movie website includes not only the usual downloadable screensavers, movie stills and trailer, but lots of behind-the-scenes info — think bonus features on DVD or Blu-ray. But there's still more. You can check show-times near you and buy tickets. You can check out the game, which is available on Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo Wii, and heavily cross-promoted by those platforms and game designer Activision. And, of course, the site also includes a link to Seibertron where you can check out all the latest Transformer toys from Hasbro. You will not escape. But that's kind of the point, isn't it? It's not that these promotional tie-ins are anything new. Star Wars created the game in the 1970s. But the lightning speed with which you can now navigate this cross-promotional world is in large part due to the Web and the impact of video and other rich media that allow a high level of interaction and a more robust experience online. That brings us back to agencies. If you aren't thinking across the spectrum of these channels for your clients, then you probably won't have that client for long. And we as agencies have to be prepared to deliver across these channels, whether through talent acquisition, partnership, network strength or any other way we can do it. We need to think bigger, bolder and more unexpected. We may not get the chance to tie into a blockbuster movie for our clients. But we are in a media environment with almost limitless possibilities to connect relevant brands and brand experiences for our clients and their customers. Let's have some fun out there. |
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The Last (Drive-in) Picture Show? Believe it or not, the drive-in theater hasn't entirely gone the way of the dinosaurs. In fact, there are more than 500 drive-ins currently operating throughout the U.S., Canada, Australia, Germany, India and South Africa. Find the one nearest you! Then go put on your favorite cartoon jammies and get ready to salute the dancing hot dog! |
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