Alliance Atlantis commissions multiplatform push for Jet Li’s Fearless

When action flick Jet Li's Fearless premieres on September 22, it will do so amid a multiplatform initiative prompted by Alliance Atlantis' growing enthusiasm for pre-release web pushes. Says promotions and advertising director for AA and Odeon Films Jennifer Otter, 'This is an evolution of our overall strategy to build up our online presence into a more integral part of our overall media mix, most notably for wide release movies with a core audience of males 18-34. When we released (Jet Li-starrer) Unleashed in 2005, we did a relatively small Internet buy, mainly on the websites of top-ranking, male-skewing radio stations. With the more recent release of Silent Hill, our goal was to be much more aggressive and innovative online. We bought in-game posters on the Massive Network, super-banners on MSN and videogame site IGN.com, as well as on WWE.com, among others.'
By Terry Poulton
August 24, 2006

When action flick Jet Li’s Fearless premieres on September 22, it will do so amid a multiplatform initiative prompted by Alliance Atlantis’ growing enthusiasm for pre-release web pushes. Says promotions and advertising director for AA and Odeon Films Jennifer Otter, ‘This is an evolution of our overall strategy to build up our online presence into a more integral part of our overall media mix, most notably for wide release movies with a core audience of males 18-34. When we released (Jet Li-starrer) Unleashed in 2005, we did a relatively small Internet buy, mainly on the websites of top-ranking, male-skewing radio stations. With the more recent release of Silent Hill, our goal was to be much more aggressive and innovative online. We bought in-game posters on the Massive Network, super-banners on MSN and videogame site IGN.com, as well as on WWE.com, among others.’

After ‘brainstorming with our U.S. partners about the demo for Fearless and our desire to build an exciting, more engaging online presence for the movie,’ says Otter, AA got together with WWE Canada (World Wrestling Entertainment) and OMD Canada to create a campaign encompassing web, TV and a high-profile live event. The campaign’s main focus is driving awareness of the movie’s release but, on behalf of WWE, it also includes the Are You Fearless Sweepstakes, whose winner gets a trip for two to Toronto to see WWE Unforgiven, a sold-out pay-per-view match at the Air Canada Centre, plus WWE and Fearless prize packs.

A microsite was created on wwe.com to act as a contest entry point and allow users to see photos and the movie trailer, says Chris Faulds, account exec for WWE Canada online. ‘Within our various TV properties on The Score, Global TV and Xtreme Sports, we’re driving traffic to the microsite, plus promoting the contest on WWE Update, an in-show feature that alerts Canadian WWE fans to upcoming events and promotions. As part of that feature, the movie trailer is played on a plasma screen behind the in-studio host while he plugs the contest.’

Meanwhile, adds OMD digital media strategist Ravi Sehgal, web designers created ‘cross-branded support ads that are running on wwe.com and on the microsite using images provided by Odeon Films. The video trailer pre-roll with Big Box is planned to go live from September 1-29, and the WWE homepage takeover, which includes the skin and 728 x 90, runs from September 15- 29.’

As for AA’s future film releases, Otter says ‘We will definitely be doing more of the same, including for our upcoming Trailer Park Boys The Movie, which opens across Canada on October 6.’

www.wwe.com/play/sweepstakes/canada/fearless