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4 innovative and interesting Content Marketing strategies implemented by horror movies in Hollywood

By Dhileepan | June 17, 2017

4 innovative and interesting Content Marketing strategies implemented by movies in Hollywood — **4 innovative and interesting Content Marketing strategies implemented by horror movies in Hollywood**

From time immemorial, horror movies, for the factor of ‘ghost’ alone that has been involved in them, have been garnering the attention of significant number of movie-goers. But, in order to take such movies further closer to the audience, the distributors of the same have been deploying innovative and interesting Content Marketing strategies. Let us have a look at 4 of such eye-catching strategies implemented by horror movies in Hollywood.

1. ‘Hoax Death Threat Call’ for ‘The Ring Two’:

Prior to the DVD release of The Ring Two, the London based Marketing Consultancy, New Media Maze came up with the idea of a marketing campaign, for the DVD release, by taking cue from the scary ‘tape scene’ of The Ring.

The Ring - Prank call — **‘*Hoax Death Threat Call*’ for ‘*The Ring Two*’**

Initially, the website – www.7daysleft.com – was set (Now, the domain is up for sale) and it offered a provision to people, who wish to play a prank by sending a ‘Hoax Death Threat’ call to their friends. People, who wished to do so, provided the e-mail address and cell-phone number of their friends. The website then sent a mail, with a link possessing the trailer of The Ring Two, to the friends. After opening the trailer from the mail and while watching it online, the friends received a call and a voice in their receivers whispered “Seven Days”. After the friends got to experience this scary moment, they were conveyed that the attempt is just a prank and that they could try to attempt this to five of their friends. This campaign which was launched in U.K. had emerged as one among the scariest viral marketing campaigns ever.

Click here to watch the ‘The Tape’ scene from The Ring.

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2. ‘Demand it’ campaign for ‘Paranormal Activity’:

Initially, in September 2009, the screening of the movie, Paranormal Activity was held in Hollywood, California. As a follow-up to this screening, an intriguing trailer was made by combining the audience’s reactions, which were captured during the screening of this show, and specific clips from the movie. The trailer was then uploaded to the official website of the movie (www.paranormalmovie.com) and telecast in television channels.

Towards the end of the trailer, a list of cities where the movie is about to be screened was put up. Also, the availability of the ‘Demand it’ option in the website, for the people who felt fascinated by the trailer and wished to get Paranormal Activity to be screened in their city, was let known. The motive, by the movie’s makers, behind this ‘Demand it’ provision was to opt first with the city, with the most demands, for the future screenings.

Paranormal Activity - Demand it campaign — **‘*Demand it*’ campaign for ‘*Paranormal Activity*’**

The movie was initially released in 7 cities of U.S. on September 25^th, 2009. From thereon, in less than a month, the movie was released nationwide.

Click here to take a look at the trailer of Paranormal Activity.

3. ‘TV Store Prank’ for ‘Rings (2017)’:

Almost a fortnight prior to the release of Rings (Third film in the Ring franchise following the movies, ‘The Ring’ and ‘The Ring Two’), Paramount Pictures shared a video titled, ‘Rings (2017) – TV Store Prank’ in their official YouTube channel.

Rings (2017) - TV Store Prank — **‘*TV Store Prank*’ for ‘*Rings (2017)*’**

In this video, firstly a TV store in New York is shown. Then, we get to see people setting a fake wall inside the store and mounting a specific number of televisions over the wall. These arrangements resemble the interior of a typical TV store. Behind a particular television, a girl with the makeover of Samara (Antagonist of the Ring franchise) is made to sit.

Subsequently, customers, one by one started visiting the store, greeted by a staff, guided towards the fake wall mounted with televisions and are being attended by the staff to let them know about the televisions that the store possesses. Initially, some random videos are being played in the televisions. Then, the videos are being replaced with the trailer of the movie, Rings. At one point of time, the Staff switches the display of the televisions to a new technology, which is available in the televisions and asks customers about their experience of the technology. This is when the television, behind which the girl is made to sit, scrolls up. The girl pops out of the television in the similar way in which the ‘Samara’ character crawls out of the televisions in the movies of the Ring franchise. She even goes on to sneak up on few of the customers. What other reaction would the customers render other than ‘shock’ when they encounter such a prank? Some screamed and few others even ran out of the room due to fear.

Hidden cameras placed inside the store captured the reactions of the customers. The video, ‘Rings (2017) – TV Store Prank’ was made out of the footage that has been obtained from such hidden cameras. Till now, the video has got more than 8 million views and is still counting.

Click here to watch the TV Store Prank.

4. ‘Zero Gravity VR Experience’ for ‘The Mummy’:

Every time when we get to see Tom Cruise performing daring stunts in his movies, we feel astonished. But, how would we feel when we are provided with an offer, to experience the making of one such adventurous sequence, in a virtual manner? Wouldn’t we feel very enthusiastic and eager to undergo such an adventure? Such is an offer which Universal Pictures has come up with, as part of their marketing strategies, for the Tom Cruise starrer The Mummy.

The Mummy - Zero Gravity Experience VR — **‘*Zero Gravity VR Experience*’ for ‘*The Mummy*’**

Who would have forgotten the terrific zero gravity sequence taking place prior to the plane crash, predominantly featuring Tom Cruise and Annabelle Wallis, which were shown in the teasers and trailers of The Mummy? The making of this sequence is which the Universal Pictures has offered a ride to by leveraging the Virtual Reality technology. This pop-up experience was first made open to the public in SXSW (South by Southwest). As part of this event, individuals, who were about to virtually experience the sequence, were provided with a headset and made to sit in a gyroscopic chair assisted by a haptic feedback. In the VR experience, which has been narrated by Tom Cruise, people were made to experience the behind-the-scenes look of the action sequence. This interesting event then appeared in Rockefeller Center, New York and in Los Angeles.

Click here to have a glimpse of ‘The Mummy’ Zero Gravity Stunt VR Experience.

So, that’s it with my briefing about the 4 innovative and interesting Content Marketing strategies that have been implemented by horror movies in Hollywood. Now, in the comments section of this write-up, feel free to share your views about the article and let me know of any such interesting and innovative Content Marketing strategies, which have been deployed for various flicks!

Ads of Vodafone SuperNet 4G: Paragons of effective utilization of Storytelling in Content Marketing

By Dhileepan | June 1, 2017

maxresdefault — **Ads of Vodafone SuperNet 4G: Paragons of effective utilization of Storytelling in Content Marketing**

Sometime ago, I happened to learn about Simon Sinek’s ‘Golden Circle’ concept. I would say that the concept gives a unique and an interesting line to the crux of the Content Marketing approaches of some companies, which have been globally recognized as distinct and successful. In the concept, Simon Sinek conveys that such companies, while communicating about their products or services to their potential customers, first talk on WHY do they offer a product or service and HOW is that offer going to benefit the customers, and then talk about WHAT are they going to offer.

He further goes on by saying that when a company shares about the ‘Why’ and ‘How’ of its products or services to its potential customers, it means that it is dealing with their behaviours by engaging with their emotions. In other words, the information of ‘Why’ and ‘How’ communicates with the human’s Limbic Brain, which deals with their emotions. But, when the company talks about the ‘What’ of its products or services to its potential customers, it means that it is speaking to their brains’ rationalistic part, Neocortex.

Going by the concept of ‘Golden Circle’, I feel that one among the best ways in Content Marketing strategies, to deal with the behaviours of the customers by engaging with their emotions, is to bring out a television commercial (TVC) driven by a well-crafted storytelling. Of late, during the IPL 10 season, many would have watched the series of television commercials (Total of 6), which have been rendered as part of Vodafone’s ‘Data Strong Network’ campaign, featuring an elderly couple (husband and wife) and narrating their experiences on their Goa trip.

When it comes to a storytelling, there are three crucial factors involved, viz., Characters, Conflicts and Resolution. In a storytelling, the characters are the ones with whom, and whose problems, the audience would relate themselves with. In the case of the advertisements of the ‘Data Strong Network’ campaign, despite the storytelling being driven from the point of view of an elderly couple, it also has characters with which people from across various generations could relate themselves with.

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Conflict is a scenario in a storytelling, where the characters get stuck with a problem and resolution is what that eventually helps the characters to overcome the conflict. In the first TVC of the campaign, we see the elderly couple facing the problem of spotting their Goa trip’s prearranged guide, whom they haven’t seen before, in a crowded railway station. To overcome the problem, they do a video call to their granddaughter from that crowded place and she helps them to spot the guide in the station. In the second ad, the couple approaches the localites who are seated in the roadside of a particular area in Goa and enquires them about the route to Chapora Fort by referring to the place as ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ Fort. But, the couple doesn’t get concrete details regarding the route from the localites. So, on the spot, they choose to use the Google Maps and in turn, the app helps them to locate the fort.

In the third advertisement, we are shown that the couple has made some new friends in a place in Goa and are having a good time with them. The couple wishes to share the happy moments at once with their beloved ones. So, they make use of the ‘Group Video Call’ facility and express their happiness to their dearest ones. In the fourth commercial, the wife character in the couple goes for a parasailing from the shore and her husband makes her ‘parasailing’ moments go live in her Facebook profile using a mobile phone. By looking at the mobile phone, she goes on to wave at and ask her Facebook friends on them being able to see her in the live. As a result, the live gets flooded with reactions and comments.

In the fifth TVC, we get to see the couple sitting in a crowded shore, watching a dance video (HD) in their mobile and getting to know few steps. In the evening, the couple is shown shaking their legs along with strangers in a boat party. In the final ad, the couple is shown sitting in a crowded railway station waiting for a train. The husband character in the couple speaks with his granddaughter over the phone via a video call. He shares thirty photos, which have been captured during the Goa trip, all in one go via his mobile to his granddaughter.

In the ‘Data Strong Network’ campaign, we could very well observe the order – ‘Why’, ‘How’ and then ‘What’ – that has been followed. As part of the campaign, Vodafone India had initially stated that, as its customers are utilising mobile internet across various applications, such as live streaming, movie downloads and video calls, it has invested in building ‘Vodafone SuperNet 4G – The Data Strong Network’ to provide faster and consistent internet connection to its customers. Thereby, Vodafone had made it clear on why they came up with a new service.

But, the aspects of ‘How’ and ‘What’ of the Vodafone SuperNet 4G have been conveyed in the television commercials. In all the above said television commercials, the order – ‘How’ and ‘What’ – has been followed in the well-crafted storytelling of the narrations. The ads first showcase us on how a fast and consistent internet connection enables the customers to perform data-heavy activities such as doing video calls, streaming HD videos and uploading multiple photos from crowded places, accessing internet based apps while on-the-go and making group video call. By that means, the commercials have let the users know the benefits of ‘Vodafone SuperNet 4G’. Finally, in the advertisements, we get to know the name of the service and the campaign, ‘Vodafone SuperNet 4G’ and ‘Data Strong Network’ respectively accompanied by the slogan, ‘#MakeMostOfNow’.

So, with the above arguments, don’t the series of television commercials of Vodafone’s ‘Data Strong Network’ campaign sound as a paragon of effective utilization of storytelling in Content Marketing? Let me know your views in the article’s comments section, which is available below!