Avatar

1) What you think is the point behind the Avatar marketing is?
The main point behind any marketing for a film is to get people to view the film. Avatar had not released many trailers and information so it makes people want to see it more. Since they have released more trailers more people are becoming aware of the film and more want to see it.

2) Where you have come across it?
I have found out about the marketing and campaign from these various sites and have read about the film and its campaign. I found the websites on google and most are forums or reviews from sci-fi places.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/ http://www.avatar.co.nz/resources/avatar-the-movie.html http://www.themovieinsider.com/m3393/avatar/ http://www.goupstate.com/article/20091109/ZNYT01/911093001/1097/ENTERTAINMENT?Title=-Avatar-Movie-s-budget-pops-from-the-screen http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/308375/avatar_the_marketing_plan_thats_backfiring.html http://www.a1moviereviews.com/avatar/ http://augmentpro.com/coca-cola-avatar-movie-augmented-reality-experience

3) Were you were affected by it in any way?
If I knew about the film and nothing had been released for it I would be waiting and anticipating a trailer, however I did not realize this film was made until I saw a trailer. However from the trailers I can see that it should be a good film and I am not waiting for more marketing to happen.

4) What message the campaign is trying to communicate?
I think the campaign is trying to create suspense and anticipation for the film; it is making it seem like a film that must be seen and is too good for trailers.

5) The overall strategy for communicating that message — shock, surprise, charm, persuasion by rational arguments etc?
I think the strategy is suspense and shock. Suspense is because the producers and film makers didn’t release any posters or marketing for a long time, then all of a sudden they are showing trailers, posters and a 15 minute screening of part of the film.

6) The items that have been used in the campaign (eg posters, flyers, television adverts)
Things that have been used are two trailers, and simple posters. At the cinema there are two different trailers and the Coca-Cola advert is showing. the audience are now seeing more trailers and posters. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/

7) What is similar about the items in this campaign — what tells us that they are all part of the same campaign?
The items in the campaign are all similar. They all show the blue creatures and the poster is the female creature and the man as his avatar. The trailer centers around them and you can see things from the trailers and film.

8) Who is targeted by the campaign?
I think the target audience is mainly the sci-fi fan audience and then ages from around 15 to 30. A wide audience because the older people will like the story more and then the younger will be more drawn in by the CGI effects and 3D.

9) How the people that created the campaign have tried to reach that target audience
The people who created marketing teamed with coca-cola to get to the younger audience the main trailer shows intense scenes which can appeal to the older audience. http://augmentpro.com/coca-cola-avatar-movie-augmented-reality-experience

10) The strengths of the campaign and how successful it is in communicating its message
Strengths?
The strength is that the way that they didn’t release much information, they waited until everyone wanted more. It did work in the way they it made people want more and then as they gradually released more people got more interested in the film.

11) Any weaknesses in the campaign and how it could be improved
As they released trailers and posters quite late not as many people knew about it. Some people who had heard of the film and wanted to see it will have been looking for trailers others however will only have heard about the film once trailers came into public circulation. This could be improved by bringing out a few more things earlier or advertising in cinemas or have newspaper articles so that the film can get interest before the trailer.

12) Whether you were already aware of this campaign.
I was not already aware of the campaign, because I was not looking for this film I only found out about when I saw a trailer in the cinema. I then found out about the campaign on the Internet.

13) How is star power used in the campaign?
Director James Cameron is used because this is his first feature film since Titanic. Also some bigger names are used for the film such as Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana.

14) Is there a message in the marketing about society’s set of beliefs?
Many people believe different things I think the film lets you believe things differently and you can see other things in a new view. the film can relate to the current war in Afghanistan and what is happening in the real world. As James Cameron

15) How is technology used to market Avatar? Are there forms which use this approach more than others?
With the 3d technology it used to film the movie the campaign have let a 15 minute preview of the film to be released in as many IMAX theatres and selected 3D cinemas.