Case Study Avatar`s multi-screen campaign drives fans to theaters

Case Study
Avatar’s multi-screen
campaign drives fans
to theaters around the world
With the premiere of its blockbuster movie Avatar
approaching, 20th Century Fox International challenged
Microsoft to develop a marketing strategy that was as creative
and innovative as the film. Fox International wanted to drive
simultaneous mass awareness and excitement across the globe.
The company felt that even though the film’s storyline would
be universally appealing, it needed to be experienced visually
to be fully understood.
The challenge: Igniting worldwide buzz
To capture the attention that Avatar needed and give
potential moviegoers the opportunity to experience a taste of
the movie for themselves, Fox International sought to connect
with consumers throughout their digital days—across every
media screen. Fox International wanted to ignite worldwide
excitement and create a sense of an event with Avatar.
Multi-screen advertising
with Microsoft Advertising
Multi-screen advertising with Microsoft Advertising is
a cross-channel initiative that gives advertisers the
ability to run integrated campaigns across PCs, mobile
devices, and TVs to establish mass awareness and deep
customer engagement. Multi-screen advertising allows
advertisers to incorporate their messages into the
digital environments that consumers use every day.
It pulls audiences together from multiple channels,
helping to mitigate fragmentation, and makes
media buying across screens less complicated and
more efficient.
But a multi-screen campaign doesn’t only aggregate
people; it also helps deliver marketing messages in
environments where consumers are more likely to
listen. By connecting with consumers through their
preferred channels, marketers have a greater chance
of reaching them when they are paying attention
and more open and receptive to brand messages.
Frequently Asked Questions
The solution: Connecting with moviegoers through the PC, TV, and mobile screens
The Avatar campaign leveraged Microsoft’s multi-screen solution to take the movie to worldwide buzz by delivering the
campaign to the world’s PC, mobile, and television screens. In doing so, Fox International was able to drive global awareness
and ensure immediate curiosity and excitement around the rich story and unparalleled visuals of Avatar.
The Avatar multi-screen campaign was executed in 15 markets in Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, and South America
and ran across multiple Microsoft properties, including MSN, MSN Mobile, Windows 7, Xbox LIVE, and Zune Marketplace.
The PC screen
To drive global awareness of the movie among moviegoers at their
computers, Microsoft Advertising roadblocked MSN homepages
across the 15 markets. The execution featured multiple homepage
banners that launched a rich media Avatar experience. There,
visitors could explore the world of Avatar through videos, photos,
and other content.
The Avatar experience integrated Microsoft Tag, Microsoft’s new
color barcode technology. Visitors could snap a picture of the
Avatar Tag image with their Tag-enabled phones to instantly visit
an Avatar WAP site on their mobile devices.
PC users operating Windows 7 also had access to an Avatar
“Themes” module. This downloadable application rotated images
from the film on users’ desktops, keeping the movie top of mind
for those consumers.
The mobile screen
Microsoft Advertising helped 20th Century Fox International connect
with consumers on the go through MSN Mobile. Banner ads placed
on the site across four major markets took users to the official Avatar
WAP site.
Frequently Asked Questions
The TV screen
To reach consumers enjoying gaming and entertainment experiences
on the TV screen, Microsoft Advertising delivered interactive Avatar
banners within the Xbox LIVE dashboard environment. Consumers could
click on those banners to visit an Avatar-branded experience in which
they could explore the movie, view the trailer, and download exclusive
content, such as themes and gamer pics.
In addition, the Avatar campaign was coordinated with the global
launch of Microsoft’s Zune Marketplace on Xbox LIVE. The mediastreaming service provided fans with the opportunity to watch an
exclusive four-minute Avatar trailer—the longest clip released
anywhere—in 1080p HD resolution.
Results: Avatar multi-screen campaign captures the attention of fans worldwide
Avatar opened in theaters across the world to millions of excited moviegoers. Through its multi-screen campaign, Avatar
marketing not only reached potential moviegoers wherever they were—but it did so across the screens and devices that
those consumers preferred and trusted most. For the Avatar multi-screen campaign, Microsoft Advertising globally delivered:
• Over 228 million MSN Homepage impressions to PC screens
• 42 million trailer streams via MSN
• Over half a million impressions to mobile phones
• Nearly 15 million impressions via Xbox LIVE
Avatar is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.
About Microsoft Advertising
Microsoft Advertising provides advertisers and publishers with media, tools, and services to drive
deep and profitable engagement with their audiences. This includes a global media network of all of
Microsoft’s digital advertising businesses: MSN, Windows Live, Office Live, Xbox LIVE, Bing, and more;
Microsoft Advertiser and Publisher Suites, which simplify planning and management of campaigns and
content; and a range of services that help advertisers and publishers untangle the complexities of
digital media and get more out of their marketing and content investments. Microsoft Advertising makes
buying and selling media simple, smart, and cost-effective across media and devices in the Microsoft
network of properties and beyond. Visit http://advertising.microsoft.com for more information.
This document is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.
AVATAR © 2009 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
© 2010 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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