Brief:
- NBC Universal and Perfect Corp. partnered for a "Pitch Perfect 3" promotion that lets people virtually try on makeup looks inspired by eight of the movie's lead characters, according to a press release.
- The effort includes beauty try-ons that use augmented reality (AR), animated photo filters and frames and a photo collage tool in Perfect's YouCam mobile apps.
- "Pitch Perfect 3" was released on Dec. 22 and earned an estimated $46.5 million at the box office during its first week, Forbes reported.
Insight:
Promoting "Pitch Perfect 3" on YouCam's app is one way for NBC to reach a segment of young, predominantly female consumers who make up a bulk of the audience for the women-led franchise. The promotion might've helped drive excitement — and ultimately ticket sales — for the film among makeup users or fans simply looking for a way to model a look after their favorite characters.
While the series's third installment may not exceed the sales of "Pitch Perfect 2," which posted $188 million in domestic revenue, it still ranked high amid tight competition from "The Last Jedi" and "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" over the holidays.
The campaign points to how entertainment brands like NBC are starting to think outside of in-theater ads and TV commercials to reach potential movie goers where they're spending more of their time — in apps on mobile phones. This promotion follows previous partnerships by Perfect Corp. with Estée Lauder and the Broadway show "War Paint," which provided an AR experience featuring looks inspired by Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden. Perfect Corp. also last March partnered with Paramount Pictures to promote the movie "Ghost in the Shell."
Teenagers, in general, are less likely to watch TV than in the past, turning to smartphones and other mobile devices for entertainment and interacting with friends. According to data by Nielsen, 28% of the U.S. smartphone audience was in the 18- to 34-year age group, compared with 29% for TV.
