This week we had students making #SuperBowl #AdBowl presentations where they apply marketing strategy lessons to the most expensive ads in the world.
One group focused on movie trailers that aired during the game. And talked about awareness vs persuasion vs reminder advertising.
One group focused on movie trailers that aired during the game. And talked about awareness vs persuasion vs reminder advertising.
They said it's easy to forget that a trailer is basically an ad. A 7-14 million ad. That will be on YouTube anyway. So what makes a studio spend that much money on just 1 ad that one Sunday? And what was common across the trailers?
Biggest commonality - Movie Franchises!
Biggest commonality - Movie Franchises!
Almost all the trailers - Flash, Guardians, Creed, Transformers, Fast 10, Scream, Indy, AntMan, were part of multi movie franchises.
So they were a combination of awareness + reminder advertising. Not so much about persuasion, like in product ads. They were meant for fans.
So they were a combination of awareness + reminder advertising. Not so much about persuasion, like in product ads. They were meant for fans.
This makes sense, cos if you have only 30-60 seconds during a night full of ads, your audience is going to be cognitively stretched thin to get interested in a brand new movie with brand new characters. It's easier to just show them stuff they already know.
The only major brand new movie that was advertised during the big game as far as I recall, was "Air". But it's almost like a quasi-franchise.
"The old team of Affleck-Damon has a movie about Nike and also Michael Jordan without the B" is a simple enough message to convey.
"The old team of Affleck-Damon has a movie about Nike and also Michael Jordan without the B" is a simple enough message to convey.
Of course you might say that Hollywood has pretty much stopped making any major non franchise movies and you would be right.
But it's still great of students to notice the franchise-only, that too looong franchises, not just trilogies, dominating the trailers, and why that is.
But it's still great of students to notice the franchise-only, that too looong franchises, not just trilogies, dominating the trailers, and why that is.
Our class now moves on to marketing lessons around the Oscars, the second biggest marketing night after super bowl, and in many ways except ratings, a bigger marketing night than the super bowl.
Remember, Oscars are a promotional trade show first and last. For many entities.
Remember, Oscars are a promotional trade show first and last. For many entities.
The point of the Oscars is not to award the best movies, but rather to sell more movies. Especially Disney movies. As you will see my tweet in the run-up to, and after the Oscars.
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