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
Kung Fu Panda Karate Chops YouTube May 12, 2011May 26th sees the theatrical release of Kung Fu Panda 2, the sequel to the hit animated film from 2008. To promote the release, Dreamworks Animation has gotten social media experts The Visionaire Group to help Po showcase his skills on YouTube. Get the full details after the break. Read More
Parks And Recreation: Rob Lowe Goes Nuts January 21, 2011NBC’s fledgling comedy Parks and Recreation has been off the air since May, and newcomer Rob Lowe isn’t happy about it. Watch him through a fit about his beautiful face not being on TV in this viral video that also stars the rest the of the cast. Click through to… Read More
G.I. Joe Facebook Game October 24, 2009June 29, 2010Playing games on Facebook has become extremely popular as of late, whether you are a college student or my mom (true story). Not one to pass up on an opportunity like that, Paramount Home Entertainment has created a G.I. Joe Facebook Game to promote their November 3rd release of G.I…. 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.