It’s almost the weekend, and if you’re keeping up with the latest Hollywood buzz, seeing “Focus,” Warner Bros.’ caper about complex cons (and the attractive con artists pulling them off – cough, cough, Will Smith), is probably in your plans.
But behind every great movie is great advertising, and before you hit the popcorn stand, you’ll want to check out the incredibly creative social media campaign, “Focus on the Con,” created by Warner Bros. Keeping with the theme of the movie, the campaign allows users to step into the shoes of a con artist, testing their skills through a series of interactive video scenarios to see if they have what it takes to pull off a con. Whether you attempt to con the Internet Mogul, the Investment Banker, or the Art Dealer, the fun campaign gives you a more personalized experience with the story.
With an audience likely made up of millennials (a demographic that’s notoriously plugged in, mobile-obsessed, and skeptical of big brands), Warner Bros. needed a creative way to grow awareness of the movie online.
“Millennials just think differently,” said Buddy Ketchner, ex-president of Sterling Rice Group and friend of Rapt Media. “They have also grown up on games and choice. There have been studies that show that video games are so popular with them because it gives them an opportunity to engage in decision-making – not because they like shooting things.”
With Rapt Media’s mobile-friendly interactive video platform, Warner Bros. was able to work with millennials’ different mindset by enabling an authentic, personalized, and mobile experience that the viewer – not the brand – drove.
As producers continue to work constantly on creating an immersive movie experience, we expect to see more of these interactive campaigns that bridge the movie-going audience and the online audience. It certainly hooked us!
(Editor’s note: my cons were all successes, but not sure if that’s good or bad…)
Interested in creating your own interactive video? Get started here.
