The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug - Case Study - Using The InternettoPromote a Movie Release in the UK.

The Hobbit's UK Facebook Page

The UK Facebook page for The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug is the same UK facebook page that was used for the first Hobbit film which shows it targets existing fans of The Hobbit as well as maintaining a global audience - focusing on the UK via this page. It is an example of both above and below the line marketing as the institution are paying someone within their company to update the page but facebook is free to use and is free for people to access, like, share and interact with. This is a valuable marketing tool as it reaches mass amounts of people, it is easily shared and is easy to update. It has the possibility of going viral online and is full of short form content.


News of The Hobbit: Fan Event

This was a page I found that was an online article about a Fan Event coming up. It included lots of information about the event, it included a film poster and a YouTube clip about the event. It targets fans of films/games/tv shows - (media geeks some might say).

This is the YouTube video about the event:

The fan event is targeted at hardcore Hobbit fans - it is above the line marketing as it is hosted by MGM and New Line studios. It links to cinemas on a live feed in cinemas in 4 host cities - London, NYC, LA and Wellington - creating a UK audience as well as a strong global audience.

The even creates a hype and hysteria in the build up to the films release and gets people talking about it. It is something special for proper fans of the film who would gain much enjoyment from an event like this!


Hobbit Competition with Feel Good Drinks

This is a competition linked with The Hobbit and Feel Good Drinks in order to promote both the drinks company and the film. It is targeted at over 16s in the UK and may especially interest adults who have young children. It creates a friendly, family vibe around the film and spreads awareness on a large scale.

Front of House Cinema Advertisement:



On-Screen Advertisements (inside the cinema)


Although this picture is not so clear to see, it is a photo I took of the screens in the cinema foyer which show up coming films, a short trailer for The Hobbit was playing whilst I was in the queue to buy tickets for Kill Your Darlings.

Another Outdoors Advertisement



This advertisement was hard to see on the phone screen as it was so bright yet so dark outside so me and Maisie joined in on the media outing fun and took an obligatory selfie! (despite some odd looks from passers by.)

Indoors - large scale advertisement



Although it is not so clear in this picture, the entire upstairs side of the building where the windows normally are, was covered in a huge vinyl sticker/poster of The Hobbit including the famous faces of some of the cast members. It had the release date printed in large numbers also, attracting cinema customers to return to the cinema in a couple of weeks time to see The Hobbit.

Apps Associated with The Hobbit
 

On the App Store on my iphone I was looking at apps associated with the title 'The Hobbit' and this was the first app to come up. It's an app created by Kabam where you can take part in a virtual battle for Middle earth along side thousands of other players worldwide. It reaches a global audience and allows fans to play and interact with each other from all over the world.

The Second App:

This was was the second app that appeared in my search on the Apple App Store, made by Warner Bros. It's an app just for a bit of silly fun, created as a camera editing application to make yourself / your friends look like an elf from the movie. Using Orlando Bloom as the front cover photo for the app will attract many people to download the app as he is a very recognisable person.

I felt that it was not right that I tried out te app myself and this was the result...

Both of the apps I looked at were free to download for iPhone users, but as people will use these apps with friends, it spreads word of mouth about the film. Also, with the second app - once you have turned yourself into an elf you are then asked wether you would like to upload it onto Facebook/ Twitter/ Tumblr - instantly creating a wider audience.