Disney Makes Theater Stop Unofficial Viral Marketing For Tron Legacy Dan Koelsch, August 30, 2010 Well, you have to give them credit for trying. Yesterday we reported that a movie theater in Ohio (and possibly others) seemed to be part of Disney’s viral marketing campaign for Tron Legacy. However, it turns out that Marcus Crosswoods Cinema had taken it upon themselves to set up their Encom-branded website and the QR Code display that lead people to it. Since it is unofficial, Disney has asked them to take it down. Read the statement on the now defunct site after the break. At the request of Disney, we have had to halt our online marketing for the Tron Legacy motion picture. We will continue to promote the feature in-house in exciting and unique ways. For more information about the Marcus Crosswoods Cinema, please visit www.marcustheatres.com. Although misguided and not even accurate to the ARG, I’m impressed that the theater did this themselves. Management is obviously excited about the film and looking for new ways to draw customers. At a time in which ticket prices are sky high and theaters are getting hit hard by the recovering economy, these drastic measures are almost necessary. What do you think? Thanks to CalebH2010 at Unfiction for the heads up. Viral Marketing DisneyTheaterTron Legacy
Tangled: Medical Researchers Discover The Healing Powers of Rapunzel’s Hair November 16, 2010November 16, 2010Ever wonder how you could stay young forever or heal those cuts and bruises without expensive surgeries or the use of shamans? Well Disney Animation has answered that question so to speak. Hit the jump to see the latest viral video for Disney’s Tangled. Read More
All New 2012 Trailer June 18, 2009June 18, 2009Just a few minutes ago, the all new trailer for 2012 dropped on yahoo movies. Let me tell you one thing. This movie looks AWESOME. Boy, do I love me some CGI-Fest films. This one looks to top everything else in the ‘Cool stuff ILM Made’ category. Well, I know… Read More
Real Steel: Train Your WRB Robot! August 1, 2011The World Robot Boxing website now has a new feature called “Learning The Ropes”, where you can train the robot that you built. The website is the viral marketing hub for Disney’s Real Steel, set in the near future where robots have taken over the sport of boxing. The WRB… Read More
kudos to the theater for being that excited by the movie to start their own mini ARG. I thought/wished it was the start of the next phase of the ARG that would lead to sneak previews around the country.
I agree, they deserve a little credit for being innovative. It’s too bad it is not part of the ARG to be honest.
They should have, however, realized that they were using someone else’s property… did they they’d completely get away with that? … *shrug*
They just didn’t think it through. I don’t think they realized it’d hit the web and people like us would pick up on it.
They were excited to market something with the trendy idea of a transmedia/viral/ARG type promotion. Too excited, and thus made some huge mistakes – used someone else’s IP, failed to understand and follow the canon of a franchise, and stepped all over another promotion’s territory.
Couldn’t Disney have been a little forward-thinking & maybe picked up the promo & run with it? Stupid Big Media, always afraid to jump onto something new until it’s too late.