What could possibly come next in the world of story telling and series themes? We already have wizards, vampires, werewolves, and zombies… Enter child gladiators in The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collin’s new twist on the classic dystopian novel with a hint of The Most Dangerous Game. The Hunger Games is a cure for all who are waiting for the next new series and up-and-coming fantasy world.
The fans of Katniss, Gale and the city of Panem will have to wait no longer to see their fantasy world come to life in the movie adaptation set to premiere in theaters tomorrow. Like a wave deep in the ocean, gathering speed and strength as it races to shore; so is the hype of The Hunger Games, that has been building and gathering more speed, fans, and excitement since the spring of 2009, when early promotion for the movie series had begun.
There is nowhere to go to escape the talk and anticipation for tomorrow’s big release but how exactly did this big ball of hype develop? NY Times unraveled the secrets behind the marketing plan from Lionsgate’s Chief Marketing Officer, Tim Palen, in the article “How ‘Hunger Games’ Built Up Must-See Fever”. The interview reveals how Palen combined the old marketing tricks and social media to create a massive tsunami of can’t-miss-Katniss frenzy that is headed for its crash landing tomorrow.
With a relatively small $45 million budget for a marketing campaign, Palen was able to create as much press and promotion for The Hunger Games as a campaign with 100 workers and a budget of $100 million. Palen focused on inexpensive digital media to promote the movie, such as Facebook, Twitter, websites and more. However, this was not just a regular Kony 2012 word of mouth or should I say, posts on Facebook campaign. Palen and his crew developed an innovative multi-channel approach to advertise the soon-to-be blockbuster hit.
One of the cheap and interesting methods Palen’s marketing team implemented was the creation of the website, TheCapitol.pn, about the city the Hunger Games takes place in; “The site allowed visitors to make digital ID cards as if they lived in Panem, the movie’s futuristic society”, according to the NY Times article. Another way they inspired fans and strangers to the movie to get excited for the premiere was a twitter scavenger hunt: “It was a silly little stunt, but it worked—bam,” Palen stated. The marketing team release 100 puzzle pieces on different website’s Twitters. Fans had to search and put the puzzle together of the movie poster—Hunger Games trended throughout the world within minutes.
(Facebook post on another media promotion)
Other promotions included a Tumblr blog about the fashions in Panem, a Capitol TV channel on YouTube, and a Facebook game. Lionsgate and Palen were able to capture the youth through these techniques and it is this youth generation, along with the old and the curious, that will see the games and all they have to offer.
Posted by Shawn Zubin, Northeastern University
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