WOM Trend Alert: Movie Studios Create WOM Frenzies
As more and more people use DVRs to give T.V. commercials the cold shoulder, movie makers are scrambling for ways to recoup the lost eyeballs and attention. As a result, movie studios are stocking their marketing arsenals with more word of mouth techniques than ever, using things like viral videos, hidden websites, mystery games, and a variety of other experiential methods to get people talking well before movies are released.
The most recent example is "The Seeker: The Dark is Rising." Slated to be released in October, the film is being promoted via a game for its fans. The movie's plot is based upon the main character finding six "signs," which fans can also look for in the movie's marketing materials. If users solve the puzzle and line up the signs in a specific order on the movie's website, they will be granted access to additional content, including behind-the-scenes footage and interviews.
Other examples of Hollywood WOM include J.J. Abrams' not-yet-named movie, which is set to be released Jan. 18, 2008, and has initiated a mystery that is capturing fans all around the web; "The Simpsons Movie," which pulled out all the WOM stops, from creating Kwik-E-Marts out of 7-Elevens to a Springfield hometown movie premiere challenge in which Springfields across the country competed to host the movie's premiere; and the latest Batman movie, which used a hidden image that could only be uncovered by unique users one pixel at a time to provoke a massive "tell a friend" movement.
