Creative marketing
This is a spinoff thread from LetsShrug's post on the Galt Interest Cards.
I really enjoy the marketing route many films have taken lately of extending the fictional world into our own. Here are two examples:
Hunger Games - fashion site for The Capitol: http://capitolcouture.pn/
The Dark Knight - interactive worldwide campaign involving The Joker and Harvey Dent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpuC7HhCP......
The Atlas Shrugged producers will market the film as they like, but since LS's cards are meant to create general interest in the book and this site I thought it could be fun to expand on that. Here are some initial ideas:
**Business Cards for the characters. They own businesses, right? So they would have cards. Cards could be handed out, left in conspicuous places, distributed discretely ("You should contact this guy, he might be able to help you" when handing out a Rearden card), etc. See initial ideas below. Cards link to johngalt site and twitter accounts (if applicable). Possible phone number (see next point). TT logo was used from AS website.
**A phone line that plays Galt's speech. On business cards and other materials there would be a phone number. It would have Galt's speech playing on constant repeat. When someone calls in, he or she would hear part of the speech. As LS's husband pointed out, it's doubtful that anyone is going to listen to the whole thing in one go. That's the purpose for the repeat - whenever you call you will hear a different part. Idea is to get people listening and thinking "what IS this?? this is interesting/ horrible!" then visit the site if they haven't already.
**advertisements for businesses from the novel. This one is wide open. See help wanted ad for Twentieth Century Motor Company below.
Suggestions from LS:
-Missing persons campaign run by Hank for Dagny
-AS government running a campaign/ twitter account to promote Directive 10-289 and their other policies.
I enjoy subtle or puzzle-solving methods of advertising. These ideas are fun to me. Is anyone else interested? Thoughts? Comments?
ps - first time I posted images didn't show up... hopefully they work this time.
[Original post by LS here] http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/posts/11......
Read more at http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/posts/12...
I really enjoy the marketing route many films have taken lately of extending the fictional world into our own. Here are two examples:
Hunger Games - fashion site for The Capitol: http://capitolcouture.pn/
The Dark Knight - interactive worldwide campaign involving The Joker and Harvey Dent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpuC7HhCP......
The Atlas Shrugged producers will market the film as they like, but since LS's cards are meant to create general interest in the book and this site I thought it could be fun to expand on that. Here are some initial ideas:
**Business Cards for the characters. They own businesses, right? So they would have cards. Cards could be handed out, left in conspicuous places, distributed discretely ("You should contact this guy, he might be able to help you" when handing out a Rearden card), etc. See initial ideas below. Cards link to johngalt site and twitter accounts (if applicable). Possible phone number (see next point). TT logo was used from AS website.
**A phone line that plays Galt's speech. On business cards and other materials there would be a phone number. It would have Galt's speech playing on constant repeat. When someone calls in, he or she would hear part of the speech. As LS's husband pointed out, it's doubtful that anyone is going to listen to the whole thing in one go. That's the purpose for the repeat - whenever you call you will hear a different part. Idea is to get people listening and thinking "what IS this?? this is interesting/ horrible!" then visit the site if they haven't already.
**advertisements for businesses from the novel. This one is wide open. See help wanted ad for Twentieth Century Motor Company below.
Suggestions from LS:
-Missing persons campaign run by Hank for Dagny
-AS government running a campaign/ twitter account to promote Directive 10-289 and their other policies.
I enjoy subtle or puzzle-solving methods of advertising. These ideas are fun to me. Is anyone else interested? Thoughts? Comments?
ps - first time I posted images didn't show up... hopefully they work this time.
[Original post by LS here] http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/posts/11......
Read more at http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/posts/12...
i hope if people can get behind the dollar sign thing, we can collect everyone's pictures. i just finished writing "who is john galt?" on my garage door in fake blood for halloween. i could just add a dollar sign and get this started.
your ad is brilliant. it looks so normal and the real adverting is subtle but powerful once you really understand what you're seeing. the last bit on the bottom is wonderful. i think most people's interest would definitely perk up then. "what government directive?!" where do you picture these ads being posted? how would they be distributed?
more ideas for ads, just off the top of my head: Hammond Motors. coast-to-coast train trip from Taggart Transcontinental -- all of these with the directive message on the bottom with however they're impacted. Also, government agencies. E.g. The State Science Institute: government funded research, for the good of all.... something like that. ads for government agencies could also be used for the twitter campaign, so here our two ideas can complement each other. likewise, the gov account could also publish your rearden metal ads, especially since rearden gives up his ownership of it eventually.
i think you're right -- advertising for the vast majority of movies these days has become formulaic and easy to ignore. i think if we can organize a fun, efficient, and easy way for fans to help promote AS themselves, our effort can garner more attention and hopefully get people to pick up the book or go see the movies. also, it might be needed if the AS movie folks can't afford to do many billboards, commercials, etc. my favorite ideas so far are: the cards, your ads, the dollar sign, and the government twitter account.
what if we found a way to tie all of them in??? that way it looks like one coherent campaign. example: the government twitter account posts that any citizen that hands out Shrug cards or posts a dollar sign anywhere is directly undermining the morale of the country and should seize immediately. then it RTs pictures of the cards/signs that people sends in as examples.
OK, i'll be back later w/ some possible tweets for government account.
thanks for keeping this going, eitheror! i look forward to more.
Made a second ad after work tonight. It's fun - I get to play Don and Peggy at the same time :)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4679zox9n3awer...
It's meant to exist after Directive 10-289 was passed; I remember a line in the book about not enough Rearden Metal to reinforce bridges but suddenly things like Rearden Metal golf clubs appear on the market. Could be posted on public bulletin boards, in coffee shops, or wherever. Need a better line for bottom than "discuss government directives", but can't think of anything right now.
Dollar sign, YES. I like your idea. And anyone who wants to do it a bit more guerilla-marketing style could get some red oil pastels and draw a dollar sign on your house or business or sidewalk or wherever. It'll wash off. Or chalk, maybe if you're putting it on public property. (I suppose lipstick could work for the diehard fans, but oil pastels are cheaper and not as soft) I might do that. and if I do I'll take photos.
Other:
I'm thinking about what ads would look like for the main businesses, but today I had this idea for a post-Directive 10-289 ad:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4679zox9n3awer...
It could be printed out and posted on bulletin boards or those public ad spaces in coffee shops or universities.
Twitter version of Rearden has referenced a campaign for Dagny... but it's just a reference. Should we take out some ads on milk cartons? :) Seriously though good idea. It would be easy to make a missing persons poster and put it up in the same places as mentioned above. Would be SUPER helpful to know who was going to play Dagny in part 3 first though.
I've put the business cards on hold for now, I want to design ads! Added benefit is that I get to learn new photoshop techniques. I usually don't do much post-processing to my photos.
I like the idea of generating interest in as many ways as possible. So many generic movies are released every month that all the trailers blend together (for me at least) so if we want AS to be seen / read then we have to make sure people know it is different!