Viral Marketing

Viral Marketing

Viral marketing is a way for the advertisers of a film to successfully promote it. It can be cheap as the audience will be the ones spreading the word rather than trailers or posters which would cost money. With new technologies like smart phones and iPads, information is much more accessible than it was a few years ago. Advertisers can use this to their advantage; especially when it comes to Web 2.0 websites like Youtube. ‘Youtubers’ sometimes post their reactions to film trailers online, thus giving every other user of the website a chance to discuss it, tell their friends and advertise for the film. I am going to look at two examples of viral marketing.

28 Weeks Later.

28 Weeks Later was released in 2007. It’s the sequel to 28 Days Later.

A month before the release of the film, a Biohazard Warning was projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover saying, “Contaminated, Keep out!”

This can be seen in a news article which appeared in a well-known newspaper which is distributed online and given freely at trainstations. People were able to access the news on different media platforms. http://www.metro.co.uk/showbiz/45209-film-virus-set-to-hit-uk

This projection has left the diegesis of the film, making it more prevalent to the audience as though it is real; it is something to discuss and tell people about.

A prop give away was also devised in April, where someone; most likely a fan of the franchise, would win a prop from the films. This would involve the audience more, and again, give the fans something to talk about; inadvertently advertising the film. A game was created by 20^th Century Fox, the Institutional Company, where the player could be one of the infected.

District 9

District 9 was released in 2009.

Sony Pictures had released advertising which involved the tag-line, “Human’s Only”. Billboards and posters with this tag-line were created to resemble those found in the film. They were placed at bus stops and public places. Again, these have left the diegesis of the film, the posters involve the general public and create a buzz around the film; the exact intentions of viral marketing. Blogs were also created, one by a fictional alien character and others by fictional companies.

On this website, viewers are seen discussing these posters, showing the buzz around the film: http://www.filmjunk.com/2009/06/02/district-9-viral-marketing-billboards-benches-and-bus-shelters/