Marketing Campaign The Dark Knight

I have decided to research the marketing campaign for TDK (The Dark Knight) as it is in the same genre of the film trailer I am producing.

The first usage of a marketing campaign they used for TDK is that they created a website with the tagline "We believe in Harvey dent" promoting Harvey Dent's (Fictional character in TDK) political campaign. Warner brothers wanted the fans to earn on what they would like to know about the upcoming film so they decided to have a system where the audience had to send emails to the company to chip away a pixel which eventually led to a vandalised website which revealed the Joker. This is a very good use of Viral marketing through the internet as it interacts with the audience and makes them earn the right to know about the film.

Eventually in 2007 at comic con, WhySoSerious.com released a scavenger hunt which made the audience search for a teaser trailer and a new picture of the Joker. This is another way of interacting with the audience to promote their film. Involving the audience will make them personally more interested in the film as they are connecting towards it. Eventually each prize the audience won (Such as Posters, Trailers etc.) would connect to another website revealing even more about the film itself.

 

They also used several different techniques with teaser trailers with cinemas. In IMAX’s I Am Legend, the played the intro scene as a teaser. In non-Imax cinemas they play other teaser trailers for the film. Not only did they use this, they created spin offs such as animated series and special features connecting the first film to the new one in the Blu Ray disk of Batman Begins.

Unfortunately, one of the main actors passed away. Heath Ledger who played The Joker was primarily focused on via memorials and tributes. Warner Bros informed the fans that they would inform fans that actual campaign buses nicknamed "Dentmobiles" would tour various cities to promote Dent's candidacy for district attorney.

Another marketing campaign they had used is that they open Batman themed rollercoasters, role plays, toys, clothes, puzzles and other synergy with company’s such as Dominos.

Overall this is a massive marketing campaign that would have cost a lot of money. I could very possible recreate some of these techniques used such as the linking websites. The main technique Warner bros has used is to personally interact with their audience, making them work for information about the film. This would be satisfying to working for information if I were the audience.