Discuss: When Online Movie Marketing Goes Too Far
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Newsstand, Movie Marketing
Though the film Untraceable debuted in the states last month, it arrives in the UK this week and a new online marketing campaign was launched not long ago to help promote the overseas release. Great. Super. Not quite. Apparently, the interactive company Picture Production Company set up a Facebook page called "Kill With Me," and we're being told (via the Guardian) that said page "has been gradually revealing more and more of a visceral torture scene from the Untraceable movie to Facebook members." That's not all -- here's a copy of the text that was also featured on the page: "This guy is going to die. You want to see his stinking flesh burn and bleed and blacken? Until he's some twisted dead thing? This is what you want. And I've filmed it especially for you. The more fans I get, the more I'll show ..."
A similar marketing tactic for the same movie was used on the video community Seesmic, where "an actor planted on the service briefly disappeared, and was then filmed by a video camera being bound, gagged and seemingly executed." The dude in charge of PPC knew both pages would be pulled, but wanted to "push the boundaries of what is acceptable in an online community with the Untraceable marketing campaign." I don't know about you, but tricking people into believing they're watching someone being murdered is taking it a bit too far. I understand the need to consistently up the ante with regards to marketing campaigns (especially for horror/thriller flicks), but where do you draw the line.
If you came across a campaign like this, would it make you want to see the film? Or is this taking it too far? Additionally, where do you draw the line these days? Sound off below ...
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-27-2008 @ 4:51PM
Citijess12 said...
I couldn't agree more, it makes me so irritated to think that people have become to entertainment/money hungry that they forget about human compassion and just simple morale.
The movies underlying message is loud and clear, that people are becoming bigger entertainment addicts that even when someone's life is on the line we don't care. But, to go as far as to market and purposely attract people to a movie by using livestream murder as bait is sick!
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2-27-2008 @ 8:31PM
SOS said...
To: Citijess12
Well, well, well -- let us -- see here now? You seem to have a point? Perhaps what you meant to write was:
I couldn't agree more, it makes me so irritated to think that people have become so entertainment/money hungry that they forget about human compassion and just simple ethics.
The movies underlying message is loud and clear, that people are becoming bigger entertainment addicts to the point that, even when someone's life is on the line, we don't care. But, to go as far as to market and purposely attract people to a movie by using livestream murder as bait is sick!
Is that more like what you wanted to write?
As much as I like the ideas you expressed when you wrote “morale” I don’t get the feeling there were people standing up and cheering; nor do I get the feeling you are cheering.
Furthermore: if we are to advance as a society, it’s time we separated church and state once again: “morals” should be referenced solely as, church and religion principles; and “ethics” will serve the population better if it is used to indicate what is well-known acceptable behavior without any influence of church or religion. The small distinction in this paragraph, should serve our society well.
Then there is the “murder bait” you write about, which is astonishing. I’ve never heard of “murder bait” before, so I find this concept of yours interesting. Maybe it’s just me, but, “murder bait” has a ring to it that I haven’t thought about before.
2-28-2008 @ 9:33AM
Citijess12 said...
Well thank you SOS for your preferred synonym, It's a good thing you know how to use a thesaurus. However, Morale, you see, means a state of individual psychological well-being based upon a sense of confidence and usefulness and purpose (as opposed to a being in a state of well-being through entertainment.)
And MORAL is defined as of, pertaining to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; ethical.
So you see both words have 2 different defintions. I never implied to bring religion into this discussion. I couldn't agree with you more about separation of religion and state. On that subject you are absolutely correct. However, as for your corrections for my use of terms? Not so correct.
Thanks anyway.
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3-11-2008 @ 10:49AM
Cammy said...
There is a new viral out now that does a similar thing for a film called The Ruins. Again its aim seems to be to trick the unsuspcting viewer into thinking someone is dying live in front of them on a webcam... ...by a KILLER VINE! (seriously). You are meant to be lured to his page under the pretext that he is growing a plant under his skin as an experiment.
Immoral? - only if you are dumb enough to fall for it. Clever? - undoubtably. See what you think: http://www.justin.tv/humanlabrat
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