Transit users passing through Toronto’s Union Station over the next couple of days may end up putting their detective skills to the test.
In support of the release of the murder-mystery film Murder on the Orient Express on Nov. 10, Eat It Up Media is leading an experiential activation that involves having passersby engage in a game of “guess the murderer.”
Anyone who’s played the game “Guess Who?” will find the execution familiar: participants try to determine the “murderer” on their opponent’s game board based on a description of their physical traits. They choose from 13 suspects, each representing one of the 13 characters in the film who find themselves on board a train with a murderer. Successful detectives are being rewarded with prizes.
Zenith Media, which handles media planning and buying for Twentieth Century Fox in Canada, approached Eat It Up to lead the activation. The Montreal-based agency, which specializes in food and restaurant-centered experiential campaigns, managed the entire deployment, from designing the creative assets to managing the project and prizes.
Robert Deckelbaum, co-owner of Eat It Up Media, said the experiential approach was taken to reach a mass audience. He said Twentieth Century Fox is primarily interested in creating interactions with potential movie-goers in locations that can reach a lot of people at the same time. Union Station was selected to fit the theme of the train-ride murder-mystery.
Ivan Lee, an account executive with Zenith, says while Twentieth Century Fox typically spends on digital, TV and OOH, the company is open to giving different types of campaigns a chance.
It’s the second time Zenith has worked with Eat It Up on a campaign. A few months ago, they partnered on a experiential activation for Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
The Murder on the Orient Express activation is running until Nov. 9, between the hours of 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The goal was to reach the business demographic and people interested in playing the game, while avoiding hitting mornings commuters on their way to work.
