Yahoo! Article mentions TDK Virals

[riskproductions]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080430/film_nm/virals_dc

Seems at the end the article kinda says TDK virals are a copy off Cloverfield. Didnt the TDK virals start before cloverfield, or at least simultaneously?

[Andrizzle]

Originally Posted by riskproductions

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080430/film_nm/virals_dc

Seems at the end the article kinda says TDK virals are a copy off Cloverfield. Didnt the TDK virals start before cloverfield, or at least simultaneously?

In case anyone doesn't have the time to read that, I'll give you a quick synopsis:

These damn kids today with their internets and their newfangled web sites making me feel stupid, I tried to order a sandwich from the batman deli and I still haven't gotten it! I bet those nerds think they're better than me because they can break those jap codes and get their batman sandwiches... How much does all this cost anyway? I remember when all we got was a black and white trailer and we were grateful!

After showing off my swag and talking about my experiences, I got three of my friends (two of which who wouldn't have called themselves "Batman fans" a week ago) to skip class on Monday and ride in my 91 Camry 6 hours round trip to be a part of it. They are hooked now. They are all going to see the movie and they're telling their friends and their parents about the virals.

That is the concept, Andrew Wallenstein. For the price of three Joker cards, they are going to get at least $30 more dollars in box office revenue, the only metric that seems to matter for judging the success of a movie anymore. And that's assuming the virus of their marketing fails to spread to anyone else.

You lose, sir.

[riskproductions]

Haha, yeah, the writer of the article was an idiot. I see the scenario:

(Reuters) Hey Bob, write a story on this viral thing
(Bob) *looks at size of TDK Viral Wiki* Screw this, I'll click on the whysoserious site for one second and then make the rest up

lol

[Andrizzle]

Also, you're right riskproductions, Cloverfield wasn't announced until it had it's trailer before Transformers on July 3rd, a month and a half after the comic book store employee found the Joker cards stamped "I Believe in Harvey Dent Too!"

If this reporter had so much as googled for the batman ARG he could have found the wiki and seen that himself.

[byte19]

idiot. interview me holding the reel!!! i'll change his perception!!

[ActuallyRobin]

wow, what a douche.

[dubdue]

The only thing I can agree with in this article is that the money spent on the marketing may have been better suited for catching the "non-target" audience.

But hell, like Andrizzle said, he's brought people in that normally wouldn't have. That's the brilliance of this. Where 42/WB is marketing this towards us, we are the ones spreading it like wild fire.

The fact that Joe Blow over at YooHoo! did a piece on it shows that the marketing is working.

[JackBauer24]

I'm sorry - is anybody forcing this guy to take part?

[cado]

Originally Posted by dubdue

The only thing I can agree with in this article is that the money spent on the marketing may have been better suited for catching the "non-target" audience.

But hell, like Andrizzle said, he's brought people in that normally wouldn't have. That's the brilliance of this. Where 42/WB is marketing this towards us, we are the ones spreading it like wild fire.

The fact that Joe Blow over at YooHoo! did a piece on it shows that the marketing is working.

The problem is that this isn't Joe Blow. This is the Entertainment writer for Reuters, a respected news source. I''m sending an email to their editorial staff, and I think we should all do the same. Just remember to be polite! People start ignoring you when you throw around slander.

[punk]

For Reuter's "guy" on Entertainment reviews, he doesn't seem to know **** about viral marketing.

For the uninitiated, viral marketing involves hatching multiple interconnected Web sites that plug a movie by extending its story lines online. That in turn gets blogs and social networks linking in -- hence its viral nature.

Ah, so it's an Internet thing, eh, boyo?

[cado]

Originally Posted by punk

For Reuter's "guy" on Entertainment reviews, he doesn't seem to know **** about viral marketing.



Ah, so it's an Internet thing, eh, boyo?

Yeah, I just sent him this message on Facebook:

Dear Mr. Wallenstein,

This article shows an immensely biased view of Viral Marketing without really doing any research on the history of this genre of story telling. Known in internet circles as Alternate Reality Games (ARGs), they are not always attached to movies, though some of the bigger productions tend to be. 42 Entertainment (http://www.42entertainment.com/), which is heading up "The Dark Knight" ARG, was one of the first companies devoted to this kind of immersive entertainment experience. Their first work was on "The Beast," an interactive online and offline experience that immersed the fan-base in the "story before the story" of the Steven Speilberg film A.I. I suggest that you do some more research before dismissing the idea of Viral Marketing altogether. Your comment about how "When "Cloverfield" played around with viral strategies, it was cool. Now that everyone else is copying -- not so cool," you blatantly disregard, either purposefully or through negligence, the fact that "Cloverfield" was not the first ARG, that the "Dark Knight" ARG started at around the same time as Cloverfield did, and that they were organized by two different companies. There is also the fact that ARGs or "Viral Marketing" isn't just for movies. A simple look at 42 Entertainment's website would show that they have worked for Microsoft, released their own book that was based on the format of an ARG, and recently headed up the ARG for Nine Inch Nail's album "Year Zero". I highly suggest that you do some research and re-write your "expose" on viral marketing, because you are certainly missing the big picture.

"We are the storytellers who pioneer new forms of cross-platform narratives and build powerful online communities, to create highly participatory experiences for our audiences." - 42 Entertainment

[zenbird]

I feel like THE BLAIR WITH PROJECT really started the viral marketing thing...remember? at least, it seems that way to me.

TDK had Cloverfield beat as well - but I think a large majority of online journalists were too busy riding Cloverfield's jock to see anything else, especially the much more intricate and certainly more fun DK ARG.

[punk]

What I was trying to get across is that viral marketing is not an exclusive product of the Internet. It is not an Internet "thing." It can be done via any medium: TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, etc. The Internet is just one medium, and it also happens to be one of the most prevalent. It's able to reach millions of people all over the world instantly.

The fact that he ties in viral marketing with the Internet, as if the two are joined at the hip, shows how ignorant he is of the subject itself.

[TDK Joker]

How can that reporter say that this very marketing is "not-so-cool"? I dont know what Cloverfield did (apart from a japenese milkshake website-wow sounds like fun!) but The Dark Knight has given away free phones, bowling balls, joker cards, got us into the odean for free(!) This is the best thing to ever happen to a movie. That reporter's just dumb.

[super_bik]

Originally Posted by Andrizzle

In case anyone doesn't have the time to read that, I'll give you a quick synopsis:



After showing off my swag and talking about my experiences, I got three of my friends (two of which who wouldn't have called themselves "Batman fans" a week ago) to skip class on Monday and ride in my 91 Camry 6 hours round trip to be a part of it. They are hooked now. They are all going to see the movie and they're telling their friends and their parents about the virals.

That is the concept, Andrew Wallenstein. For the price of three Joker cards, they are going to get at least $30 more dollars in box office revenue, the only metric that seems to matter for judging the success of a movie anymore. And that's assuming the virus of their marketing fails to spread to anyone else.

You lose, sir.

Yep, my roommate who hates superhero movies is now dying to see The Dark Knight because of the viral campaign. I think it's working

[doctorkenyon]

Lazy lazy journalism.

It really annoys me, most journalists work hard and get their facts straight. It only takes a few to give us all bad names.

[TDK Joker]

Originally Posted by super_bik

Yep, my roommate who hates superhero movies is now dying to see The Dark Knight because of the viral campaign. I think it's working

Same here, but its my sister instead of roommate. She's really excited for it and she isn't one of the girls who likes superhero movies.

[Sam_Cooksey]

Originally Posted by Andrizzle

These damn kids today with their internets and their newfangled web sites making me feel stupid, I tried to order a sandwich from the batman deli and I still haven't gotten it! I bet those nerds think they're better than me because they can break those jap codes and get their batman sandwiches... How much does all this cost anyway? I remember when all we got was a black and white trailer and we were grateful!

LOL!

That reminds me of Dana Carvey's "Grumpy Old Man" character from SNL:

"In my day we didn't have these fancy moving picture shows, and their kooky viral marketing. In my day, we'd get a postcard telling us to go stand in a line for hours in 100 degree heat just to go into a dark room, where some big meat-fisted mobster would punch us in the gut and take our wallets; then he'd poke us in the eye with a stick before throwing us out the back window in a bloody heap.

And we liked it!"

[super_bik]

I don't know what this guy is thinking, really. The virals make it something more than just a movie and makes people that much more excited.

Maybe he just hates puzzles. And fun.

[TDK Joker]

Originally Posted by super_bik

I don't know what this guy is thinking, really. The virals make it something more than just a movie and makes people that much more excited.

Plus it makes the fans feel like they're a part of the film as well in a way.

[escobar2248]

Originally Posted by TDK Joker

How can that reporter say that this very marketing is "not-so-cool"? I dont know what Cloverfield did (apart from a japenese milkshake website-wow sounds like fun!) but The Dark Knight has given away free phones, bowling balls, joker cards, got us into the odean for free(!) This is the best thing to ever happen to a movie. That reporter's just dumb.

The Cloverfield ARG wasn't bad. It left alot open to interpretation. But it wasn't nearly involved or compelling as TDK's ARG has been.

[MAb]

What a stick in the mud!
Cado- whats the email addy you sent an email to? I'd like to send one as well. I looked for his contact info on the web, but can't find it.

[super_bik]

Originally Posted by TDK Joker

Plus it makes the fans feel like they're a part of the film as well in a way.

Exactly, I haven't been so excited about a movie in a long time.

I guess everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but it still baffles me that someone can be bitter about this. Who could argue against extra Batman entertainment?

[Joker8906]

TDK virals are better than CLoverfields because the Virals for TDK actually RELATE TO THE MOVIE. I WAS PISSED ABOUT THE CLOVERFIELD VIRALS

[FromThisGirl]

That's viral marketing for you -- compelling, creative and intricate but above all just plain exhausting. Since when should marketing feel like doing homework?

This is another example of how some people want this world's level of brain usage to go down the drain. I don't know about you guys, but I love having to think about all these things and what they may lead to, and what kind of codes we need to crack what's at hand. Doing the work is half the fun, as I've seen it said a million times on these boards. This guy is basically saying, "Damn, I hate this game, I can't believe I actually have to use my brain! Oh noes!"

It's ridiculous, and Yahoo! shouldn't allow that to remain up, it's overly biased and a bit of a poke at the fans of these ARGs.