The Pop Pirate

A lesson in persistence (part 2 of 2)

So Universal has done the unthinkable. They greenlit a $40 million movie based on a TV series that was cancelled halfway through the first season. Now to market it. I'm not sure how it happened, but they've created a two-fold viral campaign, and it might just be the future of movie marketing.

This situation is somewhat unique (it would also work for comic book movies, etc.), because the original run of the TV show created a small but loyal fan base, and the subsequent DVD release expanded this fan base significantly. As a result, there were already a couple of on-line communities extant when the movie was announced, but nothing "official." So when Universal implemented the first part of the campaign, the movie website, it gave fans a centralized place to meet up as well as a convenient entry point for newbies. The site features user polls, trivia questions, and most importantly a message board. This feature is important because not only can fans (called browncoats- see the show) communicate and network with each other, the cast and crew can drop official updates, and the studio can monitor the fanbase.

But wait! There's more! The real centerpiece of the campaign is the preview screenings. The movie was originally scheduled for release in April, and as such it was mostly completed at the beginning of the year. So what to do with the well-connected fan base? Well, show them the film, of course. And that's just what they did. Since May, there's been 3 screenings, the first in 10 cities, the second in 20 and the most recent in 35. So not only is the studio keeping the fan community energized, they are charging these fans for the privilege. And the fans (myself included) are eating it up: the last screening sold out in minutes.

So, to recap, Universal is showing the (mostly) completed movie to paying fans, who by all accounts are loving it, and giving them a place to discuss it. As you can imagine, the buzz is working. There are almost 40,000 members of the web site, the TV show is in the top 5 sellers on Amazon and everyone is actively trying to recruit new devotees. In fact, it is working so well that the boards are rife with suggestions to market the film more effectively, not to mention ways that the fans themselves are trying to spread the word. Why are these fans to pour their hearts and souls into making money for a major studio? Simple: the possibility of a sequel. The only thing fans want more than a Big Damn Movie is a Big Damn Franchise.

And all of this with 3 more months to go. I can't wait to see what they'll do next!

posted by Jeff @ 10:06 PM