Universal Studios partnered with Microsoft Advertising on a diverse digital campaign to promote "Public Enemies" starring Johnny Depp, connect with a male audience and compete with other visually stunning summer blockbusters like "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs."
The Challenge
In developing a plan to promote "Public Enemies," Universal Studios had to address the following key challenges:
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Reach a target audience of male action/thriller film fans ages 18 to 49.
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Introduce a historical story to a new generation, which in the past has been a tough sell to young audiences.
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Compete against the name recognition, special effects and stunning visuals in the big blockbuster sequels of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs."
The Solution
To help Universal Studios achieve its objectives, Microsoft Advertising launched a campaign across proven digital properties and developed a custom experience through which moviegoers could explore the film.
Microsoft Advertising drew the target audience into the story by creating a custom, interactive MSN site based on the "Public Enemies" theme. Designed to transport visitors back in time and immerse them in the life of the famed 1930s thug, the site featured black and white photos and actual newspaper clippings chronicling John Dillinger’s criminal exploits. The site displayed images of the actors alongside original photographs of the real-life gangsters.
Microsoft Advertising also launched a wide-reaching campaign to aggregate, reach and connect with the target audience. To do this, it spanned a selection of premium properties, including the MSN homepage, MSN Movies, MSN Entertainment, Wonderwall, MSNBC, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Hotmail and Bing.
The Results
Microsoft Advertising successfully built an interactive experience and a world-class campaign that drove awareness for Universal’s "Public Enemies" release. Select results include:
- Universal Studios reached a highly relevant audience. 50 percent of respondents attended at least one movie a month and 80 percent watched at least one DVD a month; nearly 63 percent looked up movie show times online; 42 percent looked up movie reviews online; and 37 percent watched movie trailers online.
- The campaign drove key persuasion metrics. Among the engaged audience, online ad awareness for "Public Enemies" increased 81 percent; intent to see the movie increased 29 percent; and interest in the film increased 29 percent. Online ad awareness measures the extent to which respondents recall seeing an ad online.
- The campaign even positively influenced non-moviegoers. Among non-moviegoers, movie interest increased 28 percent and intent to see the movie increased 26 percent. This demonstrated the power of the creative that persuaded audiences to not only see Public Enemies but to visit theaters in general.
