Film Promotional Campaign Case Studies- Hollywood- Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby (2013) is a film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, set in Long Island and written in 1925. The film, directed by Baz Lurhmann, was released 10^th May 2013, and was distributed by Warner Bros Picture and Entertainment Company in 2D and 3D. The film had an estimated budget of $105,000,000 and grossed over $331,000,000. This proves to be Lurhmann’s highest grossing film to date, and the success of the film is put largely down to how well it promoted itself.

           A big selling point of the film is the actors who are in it. Academy Award nominated Leonardo DiCaprio and Oscar nominee’s Carey Mulligan and Isla Fisher all star in the film adaptation of the legendary novel, which was one of the films unique selling points. The original book was, at first, not very successful, but during World War 2 it saw a revival, and became one of the greatest works of American literature. The fact that the book is so respected would attract people to go and see the film version, to see how it has been adapted visually.

           The first trailer for The Great Gatsby was released a year before the actual film, which created a lot of hype for the film, as you had to wait longer to see it. The trailer featured music from Jay-Z, Beyonce, Andre 3000 and Lana Del Rey; all popular and current artists. This was a huge contrast, as the film is set in the 1920’s, and yet it features R&B music from the 21^st Century. The soundtrack for the film proved to be very popular and was therefore sold alongside the actual film, and therefore promoting it. There was also various clothing lines named after the film such as ‘The Great Gatsby Collection’ by Brooks Brother. Tiffany and Co. also unveiled a collection based around the film at the iconic Fifth Avenue store. The amount of promoting and publicity that the film got was unbelievable, as the majority of it was before it was even released, but it proved to be extremely effective, based on the profit it made.

Film Promotional Campaign Case Studies- Slumdog Millionaire (Independent)

     Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British drama film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. After its world premiere at Telluride Film Festival and later screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival and the London Film Festival, Slumdog Millionaire had a nationwide grand release in the United Kingdom on 9 January 2009 and in the United States on 23 January 2009. It premiered in Mumbai on 22 January 2009. It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 2009, winning eight, the most for any film of 2008, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also won seven BAFTA Awards (including Best Film), five Critics' Choice Awards, and four Golden Globes. The film was produced by Celador Films, Film4, and Pathé Pictures International. It was distributed by companies including Fox Searchlight Pictures ,Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

 

 This is the poster for the film, which were displayed in cinemas, on the sides of buses and on the internet. It is quite a memorable poster due to the bright colours and big writing, as well as the quote “The feel-good film of the decade”. This creates hype for the film, as it has had such good reviews, so you assume that it must be worth watching. The diagram at the bottom of the poster is set out like the game show ‘Who wants to be a millionaire?’ which creates intrigue as to why they have included this in the poster. The picture of the couple also creates excitement as you want to find out why they seem like they are celebrating. Overall, the poster creates a fun and feel-good atmosphere, which would easily persuade potential viewers to go and watch the film.

Film Promotional Campaign Study- Project X (Chosen Genre)

Project X is a 2012 comedy film directed by Nima Nourizadeh and written by Michael Bacall, Matt Drake and produced by director Todd Phillips. The plot follows three friends—Thomas (Thomas Mann), Costa (Oliver Cooper) and J.B. (Jonathan Daniel Brown)—who throw a big, out of control party in order to gain popularity. The filming for Project X took place over 5 weeks in Los Angeles with a budget of $12 million. It is filmed as a ‘home video’ to make the audience feel as though they actually attended the ‘legendary’ party.
Project X held its world premiere on February 29, 2012, at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, followed by an after party with performances by Kid Cudi, Tyler The Creator, and The Hundred in the Hands. During its box office run, the film grossed $54,731,865 in North America and $48,000,000 from markets elsewhere – a worldwide total of $102,731,865, exceeding expectations that it would finish with a gross in the mid to high teens.
The film was produced my Green Hat Films and Silver Pictures, but distributed by companies including Warner Bros. and Warner Home Videos.

The movie poster used to promote the film shows a large group of people dancing in the background, while three males lie on the floor at the front. The person in the middle in holding his hand in the air, like a sign of victory. The slogan “The party you’ve only dreamed about” creates intrigue, as it would make people wonder what makes the party so good, and it also feels as if you are being invited to a party, opposed to just going to watch a film. The poster also mentions that the director of the film also produced a well-known, popular film called The Hangover. This would also attract people to watch the film as The Hangover was a huge success, and is of a similar genre, meaning if you liked The Hangover, chances are you’ll like Project X too. The poster also includes ‘inside jokes’, for example the cup that the boy is holding up, and the dog that is tied to the balloons. This would entice people to watch the film, as they would want to get in on the ‘inside joke’, almost like a club