Fox terrifies social media users into seeing Poltergeist remake
20th Century Fox is taking a unique approach to marketing via mobile for the upcoming release of its remake of the classic film Poltergeist by terrifying unsuspecting social media users.
The studio today will implement a social media event named Fear Factory that will frighten users who post about their greatest fears. Users who include the hashtag #WhatAreYouAfraidOf on Twitter will unknowingly receive videos or GIFs designed specifically to scare the individual.
"This sort of personal, viral engagement can work well, if done well," said Wilson Kerr, vice president of business and sales at Unbound Commerce, Boston. "The first Poltergeist movie was successful because it played on fears that everyone has.
"The evil clown under the bed scene still resonates," he said. "Ever since the Blair Witch Project, creating early buzz via social media has become an integral part of major movie launches."
The social media event will take place on April 2 until 10 p.m. to coincide with the release of the film?s trailer this morning.
Social media event
This is a unique approach and a fun way for 20th Century Fox to market its film. The key demographic is millennials ? the main users of social media and the majority of the horror film fan base.
Combining these two interests of millennials is an easy decision for the film?s marketing team.
"The teen and millennial audiences that Poltergeist appeals to are spending much of their time on social media," said Matt Seigel, vice president at Vayner Media, the agency that Fox is partnering with this promotion. "We've already seen this demographic engage with the hashtags on previous Poltergeist trailers. By working with social media influencers who are popular with this audience to share their own fears, their strong fan bases will be encouraged to participate in the campaign.
"Working in social media for this campaign was a clear choice because it allows us to have a one-on-one interaction with fans," he said. "That just isn't possible when you drop a trailer in a more traditional way.
"The individual engagements will extend the thrill of watching the 'Poltergeist' trailer in a personalized fashion that we know this demographic appreciates."
The goal is to create a significant conversation on social media about the remake. A prank such as this is a sure way to get potential fans interested with the correct approach.
Some social media influencers with large followings will join in on the fun, attempting to get the hashtag trending. Doing this will encourage users to unsuspectingly tweet their fears as well.
Hype around the movie could go viral if Fear Factory executes as planned. If consumers are terrified enough and post about the scary content they received, it could take the direction that past social media events have taken, such as the global debate about the color of a dress.
Each piece of content sent to potential scare-victims will include a feature related to Poltergeist, the users information and her fear.
Trending conversation
Social media is a popular tool for movie studios and television networks to make their properties viral.
For example, Comedy Central is aware of the importance of creating mobile conversation to drum up awareness. The network leveraged the popularity of Justin Bieber through social media and mobile applications to create buzz around the Roast of the music artist for a more timeless promotion rather than just one day viewing (see more).
Also, the Insidious horror film franchise used interactive chat to let fans engage with teenage heroine Quinn Brenner on the Kik application in an effort to drive excitement around the recently released trailer for the third installment (see more).
The Poltergeist effort, while targeting millennials, may also tap into nostalgia.
"By personalizing this content and, I assume, integrating it into content from the movie, they are likely hoping to engage a new generation of moviegoers, while trying to bring back those who saw the original in 1982, to see it again," Mr. Kerr said.
Final Take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily and Mobile Marketer, New York
