To mark the premiere of Final Destination Bloodlines, Warner Bros. Canada is hitting the streets of Toronto and Montreal with an activation replicating the franchise’s most iconic death scenes.
As part of the activation, a blood-splattered cargo truck has hit the roads in Ontario and Quebec, with ads about the film and a QR code that allows passersby to purchase advance tickets for the movie. The truck, complete with a “How’s my driving?” sticker, features a recreation of the deadly scene from the franchise’s second film, where logs of wood fall on a highway.
At selected stops, fans have been able to take home exclusive promotional items and participated in a photo story that brings to life the fast-paced lawnmower scene featured in the trailer. The activation was supported by organic social media chatter and earned publicity.
Reignite Marketing handled the truck production and experience, Allied Global Marketing was in charge of publicity support and Your Brand Integrated Marketing Communications handled influencer integration.
Chris Lewchuk, VP of marketing for Warner Bros. Pictures Canada, tells MiC that the initiative aimed to generate buzz and awareness for the new film in the weeks leading up to its release. With the last installment being over a decade old, the team also sought to create an activation that would “break through the everyday noise,” reconnect with longtime fans and expose the brand to new generations.
Lewchuk notes that launching the activation in Canada was strategic, given the film’s production took place in Vancouver last year for the first time. The timing around a holiday weekend was also key, with people being on the move and potentially catching the truck in high-traffic areas.
According to him, Warner Bros. had already used vehicles for marketing campaigns in the country, but not at this level of design. “This is extra special because of the connection to the iconic scene in a previous film that resonated with a whole generation of horror fans,” he says, adding that investing in an activation for this movie made sense as it is one of the studio’s most successful franchises.
The target audience is 18- to 44-year-old viewers, those familiar with the franchise, as well as fans of the horror and thriller genre.
“We want to remind them of the movie magic that can jump off screen and into pop culture,” says Lewchuk.
Lately, Warner Bros. Pictures has been launching activations in the country to promote the release of its films. In early March, it set up a walk-in exhibition at Yorkdale Mall to promote the release of A Minecraft Movie. And before that, it opened a pop-up exhibition at the same mall to give fans a “sweet” taste of Wonka.
