Jan 7 2008More, Better 'Cloverfield' Viral Marketing
I've gotten pretty worn out with all the viral marketing that seems to be essential to any big-budget film coming out in the next year, but in particular with the efforts of Cloverfield. While The Dark Knight's exhaustive campaign mixes real-life planted swag with online clue-hunting (still sort of annoying), Cloverfield has chosen a strategy more along the lines of here's something, figure it out. With a detailed website for a fictional corporation with no obvious connection to the monster attack and an out-of-touch, obvious jab at Japanese culture, each piece of the puzzle added to a final image that appeared to be an Ouroboros of apathy. OK, I get that frozen soda is somehow involved with the monster. So what?
But now, taking a route more similar to The Darjeeling Limited than Lost, JJ Abrams and company have released some clips that, while still somewhat cryptic, serve as more of a prelude to the film than an intentionally vague clue. This is what viral marketing should look like. Or just something with Will Ferrell shirtless.
See the clips and analysis here.
Reader Comments
1. Paladin - January 7, 2008 5:46 PM
I can not wait for this movie!
2. Wendy - January 8, 2008 9:01 AM
Soda causes giant monsters to destroy city. That's the plot? It's also the plot of the video game rampage. I'd be more excited about this movie if that's what they called it.
3. Equal Opportunity Maniac - January 8, 2008 11:28 AM
Wow. #2 can't read. I distinctly remember seeing the title of this movie and it's called CLOVERFIELD - not Rampage. Way to expose your handicap there, asshole.
Well, what do you know? Look at the title of this post! It IS called Cloverfield! How much money is someone willing to bet that Wendy is one of those ass-hats that thinks the monster could also be a lion?!?
4. T-Shank - January 8, 2008 12:13 PM
#3
But it is a lion... a giant lion that gets mean and ill tempered when it drinks "Slusho" which has electrolytes and what giant lion's need to usher in the apocalyptic destruction of New York City. And that giant lion lives at the bottom of the Atlantic. Nearby some oil and Japanese people.
An aside...
I am telling you what... New York City gets screwed up in every movie no matter what the cause. Asteroids. Aliens. Zombies. Terrorists. More terrorists. Freak climate shifts caused by global warming. Whoopi Goldberg coaching basketball.
Just once do I want something bad to happen to some other city and then it pans out to NYC where they are having fun and excited cuz it's not them on the news for once.
That's a movie I would like to see... someday.
5. Wendy - January 8, 2008 12:35 PM
uhhhhhh, What #3? That was a very confusing attack on your part.
I was saying that the plot of cloverfield sounds like the plot of the video game rampage. That sort of implies I know it's not called rampage, especially when I say that I'd be more excited about the movie if that's what they called it.
6. Drbendy - January 8, 2008 12:44 PM
#3 you are an idiot, read what he says before you spend 20 minutes trying to get your malformed hand to type that shit.
7. Sarah - January 8, 2008 3:06 PM
Am I really the only one that thinks that this is all very clever marketing to disguise the fact that this is actually a Godzilla movie?
The last one bombed. You think that people are going to give up on Godzilla? Come on. It comes from Japan, it's a giant freakin' lizard, and it's more true to the original Godzilla shape than the one from the Matthew Broderick movie.
I'd be really surprised if I was wrong.
8. zach - January 8, 2008 4:53 PM
@Sarah:
The director swore up and down that it isn't godzilla. Plus, when you're making a godzilla movie, you don't disguise it as an indie Film, or something else. IT'S FREAKING GODZILLA, WHICH MAKES MONEY.
9. Jason - January 11, 2008 11:03 AM
i hate trying to talk to people who just found out about this movie, if you haven't been following it since transformers PLEASE don't come out and say, "Hey it's VOLTRON, or it GODZILLA, or for GODS SAKE RAMPAGE"
IT'S NONE OF THAT, ITS COMPLEATLY ORIGINAL!!!!
Abrams went to Japan with his son for the release of MI:III and they went in a toy store and Godzilla toys where everywhere which inspired him to create a monster movie worthy of being called an american moster movie.
Also its def not Godzilla seeing that the comapnay that owns the right of Gozilla has been very out spoken saying they have retired the franchise for atleast 10-15 years and that was only 5 years ago
If you really want to read up on this movie check out
www.cloverfieldclues.com
thats the best place to find out all you have ever wanted to know about Cloverfield
peace, love, and happiness