Avatar Viral Review Alex Gerage, December 23, 2009December 23, 2009 This review contains minimal spoilers for those who have yet to see Avatar. I definitely recommend checking out Iain’s review of the film, as it sums up my personal reaction perfectly. Although the film’s story was far more pedestrian and predictable than I originally thought (and would have liked), there is no looking past the magnificence of the visuals. Experiencing Avatar in IMAX 3D was a visual treat that I believe can spark a new wave of innovative filmmaking. If you haven’t had the chance to see it or yourself, it’s worth your time. Unfortunately, I cannot really say the same about the film’s viral marketing campaign. Premiering in September, Avtr.com offered a glimpse into the Resource Development Administration and presented clues about Avatar’s plot. I wrote at the time that this offered tremendous potential for a viral campaign. The images, maps, and data logs, were a creative way of showing visitors the motives of the “sky people” on Pandora. In addition, the pictures depicting the monitoring screens, tanks, and holographic maps, proved to be integral to the film. Furthermore, visitors were introduced to a transmission from Colonel Quaritch that offered great insight into his character and highlighted the tensions on the planet. The website looked to be setting us up for something big, something worthy of Avatar’s hype. But then the unexpected happened. The updates stopped. The site collected dust for almost two months. Although an Avatar Twitter account held a faint pulse, and the Facebook and MTV hosted webcasts answered some questions, none of it seemed substantial. Finally, just when it appeared Avatar would hit theaters without so much as a viral whimper, Avtr.com went live-as a promotional site for Coke Zero. Sure, there were some new images, RDA transmissions, and the opportunity to join the AVTR Advanced Team (which amounted to a link to a Facebook game). But with this inundation of content so close to the film’s release, after so much lag time, there didn’t seem to be a purpose. The hype train had left the station. I was ready to invest my time in a massive viral campaign that exposed me to the world of Pandora and this potential new franchise. I was left asking though, what happened? Why wasn’t there an ARG when the circumstances were perfect for one? Although there’s no reason Fox Studios couldn’t have developed a solid viral campaign in conjunction with television spots and trailers, it appeared they opted to focus solely on the latter. In the end, maybe they realized marketing towards a niche demographic wouldn’t meet their box office goals the way mass produced commercials, Coca Cola tie-ins, and Mattel toys would. Judging by the solid opening weekend box office, they may have been right, but the viral remains wasted potential. A film that positioned itself as an industry changing epic gave many hope that a viral campaign reflecting such lofty ambition would be used. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. Despite drumming up initial interest through websites like Avtr.com, Avatar’s viral campaign failed to live up to the hype that the final film arguably did. Maybe they will learn their lesson if there’s a sequel. Final Grade: C Viral Marketing Avatar
Cool Motion Poster for The Other Guys March 26, 2010August 26, 2010Adam McKay’s (Anchorman, Talladega Nights) The Other Guys opens in August, but very little from the movie has been seen, despite its big name actors. Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell star as two mismatched New York City detectives who seize an opportunity to step up like the city’s top cops… Read More
Check it out: Viral Site For ‘The Conduit’ (Wii) June 18, 2009June 21, 2009Alright, I was sufing the web earlier, and I noticed this viral site for the upcoming game ‘The Conduit’. You can check the site here. Once the anonymous chat is over, you get a 2-d Google map-like scene of Washington D.C. On most of the buildings are codes most of… Read More
HGTV and Disney Create “Electrifying Garden” At Comic-Con July 10, 2012If you’re going to San Diego Comic-Con this week, then you are in a visual treat courtesy of Disney and HGTV. The two have teamed up to transform the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter lawn into an “Electrifying Garden” inspired by Disney’s Frankenweenie. We will include this and the film’s… Read More