ETA (11 Feb): The firm that did the marketing for Coraline blogged about their strategy.
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I’m jacked up sideways about going to see the Coraline movie this weekend. I haven’t even read the book. I rarely see a movie when I want to read the book, but I’m going this weekend come hell or high water (or, since this is Vancouver, come four inches of snow that paralyzes the city). For weeks and weeks I’ve seen videos and articles about all the insane handcrafting that went into making this stop-motion animated film. The Coraline folks outdid themselves marketing specifically to communities of crafty people online.
Last week I tumbled a trailer for the movie, featuring author Neil Gaiman. This morning a friend of mine commented over there that the movie will be out, at least for a limited time, in 3D. I hadn’t known that. So cool!
Anyway, this friend and I got into a discussion about viral marketing after I told him about all the stuff I mentioned above. He replied, though, that it was obviously a viral-marketing FAIL, as he and everyone he works with—all of whom spend a lot of time online—hadn’t heard a thing about it; he hadn’t known about the movie at all till he saw my post about it.
See, I think that’s a sign of the campaign’s success. Now a bunch of people who didn’t know about the movie do know about it. That, to me, is a viral marketing WIN.
What do you think? Fail? Win? Shut up already and pass the buttons?
(PS Anyone know if the movie will play in 3D in Vancouver? I can’t find anything about it, and it’s making me twitchy! Looks like it’ll open in 3D at what I still like to think of as the Paramount Theatre on Burrard!)
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I'm with you, it's a success–I love how the marketing for this film has embraced its crafty audience–go out and get the book (or the graphic novel) before you go see the movie. It's great!
Yes! I'll have to pick up a copy tomorrow. I'm just so all-around excited!
Oh, I'm giddy about the marketing. The sending of stuff to craftbloggers. The tiny sweaters. The artisanal attention to detail. I believe that Coraline came up as a topic at dinner last night, my 11 year old, my husband and me, al savvy to it. And we NEVER see movies. Like I'm seriously considering seeing it, and I've seen, I think, 2 movies in a theater in the last decade. Just saying.
Well, they got me obsessed with all things Neil Gaiman, and I'm queued up to write a post or several with a creepy craft theme. I say successful.
It's been a very pointed viral marketing campaign. Perhaps your chum isn't part of their initially targeted market ;) I think their viral marketing campaign has been an extreme win! :)
Yes, it has seemed very specifically targeted. Which is why I think my
friend now knowing about it — without being a member of one of those
targeted groups — makes it a spectacular win!
It's making me want to do a new felt jacket covered in buttons (like the last vintage button one I did)…except maybe they should be creepy and black instead of shades of pink.
Don't worry about not having read the book – from what I can tell from the trailers, the film looks like it has as much to do with the book as Jim Carrey's Grinch had to do with Dr. Suess's – although it (the film) definitely does look interesting.
Oh, good to know! Thanks!
Don't worry about not having read the book – from what I can tell from the trailers, the film looks like it has as much to do with the book as Jim Carrey's Grinch had to do with Dr. Suess's – although it (the film) definitely does look interesting.
Oh, good to know! Thanks!
Yes, it has seemed very specifically targeted. Which is why I think my
friend now knowing about it — without being a member of one of those
targeted groups — makes it a spectacular win!
It's making me want to do a new felt jacket covered in buttons (like the last vintage button one I did)…except maybe they should be creepy and black instead of shades of pink.
Don't worry about not having read the book – from what I can tell from the trailers, the film looks like it has as much to do with the book as Jim Carrey's Grinch had to do with Dr. Suess's – although it (the film) definitely does look interesting.
Oh, good to know! Thanks!