The entertainment industry has been early to adopt the mobile phone to push music and movies, and so it comes as no surprise that Universal Pictures has teamed up with mobile network AdMob to promote the latest installment in its The Fast and the Furious franchise of movies, Fast & Furious.
Universal Pictures’ campaign, which was conceived by its ad agency Ignited, is centered on two mobile WAP sites — one for the mobile Web and a 3-D site for the iPhone by The Visionaire Group — as well as a mobile Web campaign with banner ads for the film running across AdMob’s mobile network, including Movietickets.com.
“This campaign is about re-engaging with the original fans and about bringing in new fans who had heard about the film but may not have seen it,” said Nicole Leverich, director of corporate communications at AdMob.
The banner ads all link back to these mobile WAP sites, which include trailers, a story synopsis, a photo gallery, wallpaper downloads and a link to purchase tickets.
“If you are out to dinner and you are thinking about going to see a film and look on your phone, then you might see an ad for the film and remember that you wanted to see it,” added Leverich. “It is an opportunity to engage with consumers on the device that is always with them.”
The film targets a younger demographic, which makes mobile an ideal channel, as younger audiences are on the phone.
“Consumers 30 and under are actively engaged with mobile, and fit right into the target audience for this fi lm,” Leverich said.
Universal Pictures has been using the mobile phone to promote its films since 2007. In 2007, it partnered with mobile services firm Minick to build out www.universalpictures.mobi, the studio’s mobile Web site. Since then, the studio has done mobile campaigns with a number of its films, including Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The Tale of Despereaux.
“The entertainment industry is looking for more innovative ways to reach fans and a more general audience. It is looking at social media and emerging media like the mobile phone,” said Leverich. “Because consumers are spending so much time on the mobile phone, it makes sense.”