movie

Inspiration: District 9 Viral Marketing Campaign

in film / marketing / movie / online advertising July 29, 2009

District 9 Ad Campaign

Posted by Sherrie Thai of Shaire Productions.

The ad campaign for District 9 is reminiscent of the viral marketing of the Dark Knight and Watchmen with (on and offline) banners in various cities, reminding people to keep watch for subversive activity. There is an alternative website promoting the film–D-9–involving the Multinational United (MNU). Though the viral marketing isn’t as extensive as The Dark Knight’s, the inclusion of an alien language on the fictional blog site MPU Spreads Lies is a nice touch. The interactivity between the brand and audience strengthens the brand popularity and creates a compelling dialogue.

Inspiration: Coraline and Henry Selick

in film / inspiration / movie February 16, 2009

I’ve been a huge fan of Henry Selick without realizing it. He’s the man behind (one of my all-time favs) “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “James and the Giant Peach.” His latest creation Coraline has been a three-year project shot entirely in 3-D stop-motion animation. Linking up with heavy-hitter Neil Gaiman (fantasy writer who’s film work includes Stardust and Beowolf), the film is as whimsical and endearing as his past work. It’s a beautiful piece of artistry, produced by Oregon-based Laika.

Here are some articles on Henry Selick:
-Oregon Live
-Digital Media FX
-Film Monthly

Inspiration: The Rape of Europa

in art / book / documentary / film / history / movie November 28, 2008

The Rape of Europa Artwork

The Rape of Europa documentary (from Menemsha Films) is based on the book of the same name by Lynn H. Nicholas. It’s a emotional look at the plundering of art in World War II by mass murderer and rejected artist, Hitler (as explored in the film, Max) and the Nazis, the social effects of the loss, art’s place in culture, and the Monument Men (who protected cultural treasures during the war).

From the film, it was reported that millions (!) of artworks were stolen from historical sites, museums, and countless victims of the Nazis. Some of the classical pieces were from Da Vinci, Rembrandt, and Michelangelo. Others included the (Hitler dubbed “Degenerate Artists”) works of Van Gogh and Picasso. Backed by old news reel footage, The Rape of Europa is a compelling story–not just from an art perspective, but a cultural one. Religious artifacts (Torahs, bells, etc.) and the classic art treasures were housed in underground Nazi caves for the intention of being sent to Hitler’s (unbuilt) museum of art. Translating the millions of lives severed from the Holocaust into material objects is an astounding one. The film also touched on the stories of soldiers and their conflicts of saving lives vs. preserving historic monuments. Interviews from residents, victims, and historians recall the role of art for them–it was a source of history, memory, culture, and ultimately, identity.

Dark Knight: Promotional Design

in artwork / campaign / design / graphic design / movie / shaire productions / shaireproductions / sherrie thai July 18, 2008

Dark Knight

I created this design for the Dark Knight Campaign. As with most movie campaigns, the artwork was already in existence, so I just had to concentrate on extending the brand through photo collages and creating supporting artwork. This is where research is essential–if I didn’t have just a day or two to turn something around, I could easily spend a week on research. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to touch different and exciting campaigns that I admire.

The concept was inspired by the Gotham Times site with interactive Flash-based elements. If you’re interested in seeing the real sites for The Dark Knight, check out my other posting about their guerrilla marketing campaign.

The Dark Knight Guerrilla Marketing Campaign

in movie / online advertising / shaire productions / shaireproductions / sherrie thai June 1, 2008





The marketing campaign for the upcoming Batman movie “The Dark Knight” is pure genius. This is the one of the first times I’ve seen multiple online guerrilla venues to promote a brand. I have yet to discover the ad/media agency behind this, but it’s caused quite a stir.

The new Batman movies (with Christian Bale) are a reinvention of the Batman enterprise. The content and approach of the new movies are darker and explores character development, steering away from its cheesy predecessors of the 90s. This reinvention carries over to the online medium. Because Batman has a cultural heritage (decades of comics, t.v. shows, toys, movies, etc.), it has an existing cult-like following. Creating a world around this is no simple task, as execution must be tactful.

The whole premise for the campaign revolves around the user/viewer becoming engaged in the world of Gotham–it’s characters, activities, sights, and sounds. This engagement marketing is very Web 2.0–utilizing User Generated Content to propel the projects further. One example of this is the Why So Serious site (screenshots above). The atmosphere surrounding the Flash site is very covert and mysterious. A viewer is encouraged to submit photos–not with a generic “submit now” button–but through the copy, graphics, and hints of a secret Clown society. If you are pro-Batman, there’s Citizens for Batman, or if you’re interested in politics, you could support Harvey Dent’s bid for District Attorney. Another great site is the mutation of the Gotham Times to the HaHaHa Times by clicking the headline. The campaign is very strategic and fluid as it’s been timed to coordinate with various events–from Comic Con Clown Recruitment to Movie Screenings.

The intelligence of this campaign is due to its non-explicit advertising; it’s about discovery and exploration. It allows people to come to their own conclusions about certain characters or activities. There’s no central homepage listing for all the sites–adding to the mystique of the campaign as it’s user-generated–from articles, other bloggers/fans (Batman Blog), and countless searches.

A new face of online advertising is upon us.