Abrams Is A Marketing Genius

[slappy]

One thing is more than certain to me thus far about Abrams: he's a marketing guru. The movie is almost a year away and I think he's just getting started with whipping people into a frenzy. Rule #1 in movies...or business....or life: don't pay any more than you have to for anything.

1. He used one hotly anticipated movie (Cloverfield) to promote another one (Star Trek). Cost: $0

2. He made a trailer that didn't reveal a single plot point about the film, feature a single frame from the movie, or have even snippet of original dialog and still got people talking. Cost: $10,000?

3. Leaked a grainy version of the trailer on purpose to get people talking about the HD version of something they already saw. Cost: $0

4. Used said trailer to launch a cheap website. Cost: $200?

5. Used said trailer and website to launch yet another cheap website which featured little more than a picture of a corridor. $200?

5. Leaked pictures of people in the movie walking to and from the set, revealing really nothing at all, yet made people think they were actually discovering something secretive. Hell, he probably used the message board feedback to make last minute tweaks. Cost: $0 - $50 dollars.

6. Cast James Cawley, a fan favorite, in the movie as an extra knowing damn well he'd then tell his entire audience how awesome he is in return. Cost: $0 or whatever they'd have paid another extra.

I really like this guy.

 

[Michael]

7. Cast a terminally ill professor who is a life long Star Trek fan as an extra. Cost: $0.

 

[Holytomato]

8. Have fans panicking at thought of "Is the scene from the trailer in the film or isn't!?" Cost: $0

9. Have fans panicking about planet or space construction. Cost: $0

10. Have fans panicking about organic welders in the 23rd Century using tools that look like they are from the 21th. Cost: $0

11. Have fans panicking about the fact that they see the Enterprise's parts being built on Earth, at night, wth fog, and the before mentioned organic welders in the 23rd Century using tools that look like they are from the 21th not in EVA suits. Cost: $0

12. Create website with 4 cameras showing white snow with dials that must be fiddled with to bring cameras' images into focus, which reveal more of seeing the Enterprise's parts being built on Earth, at night, with fog, and the before mentioned organic welders in the 23rd Century using tools that look like they are from the 21th not in EVA suits doing more, welding. Cost: $0

 

[DeafPoet]

11. Make a Star Trek movie all the while keeping Trekkies in the dark, knowing full well they will melt the internet trying to figure out what the fuck you're doing. Cost: $1 for popcorn to watch the shit show with.

 

[blaXXer]

Indeed Mr. Abrams is a marketing genius. I'm psyched to go see this film

 

[Wowbagger]

He's whipped us into a frenzy, which is a very different claim from whipping the population into a frenzy. Anyone have non-Trekkie friends with a reaction to the teaser?

That said... any trailer that sends chills down my spine is a winner. And you'd have to be Vulcan not to get a little chill when JFK says, "The eyes of the world... now look into space."

 

[Roger Wilco]

I think you underestimate the cost of the trailer and the websites, but yeah, Abrams is good at that stuff. Hopefully by doing that he can reach people other than us here on TBBS who would have watched the movie in any case.

 

[section9]

If Abrams can make Cloverfield, which is basically a sendup to Godzilla for Generation Z, and send it to the top of the charts, don't you all think it follows that he can bring off an exciting Star Trek for the 21st Century Generation?

JJ Abrams could sell Used Cars to the Undead Richard Nixon. He's that good.

 

[Captain Craig]

Wowbagger said:
He's whipped us into a frenzy, which is a very different claim from whipping the population into a frenzy. Anyone have non-Trekkie friends with a reaction to the teaser?

Bingo!
Having us excited or contemplating every little detail we get to see is one thing. Having the general media at large excited and pumping the masses into excitement is a whole other ballgame. And as of now those stands are fairly empty as I see it. Plenty of time to fill those seats but for now its just us.

 

[DeafPoet]

Wowbagger said:
He's whipped us into a frenzy, which is a very different claim from whipping the population into a frenzy. Anyone have non-Trekkie friends with a reaction to the teaser?

Actually, yeah weirdly enough. My best friend who I saw on Tuesday was like "Dude, I saw the Star Trek preview and Shatner's in it!"

This had me taken aback for a moment. First, I was shocked that he found it online since he didn't see it with Cloverfield and really doesn't care about Trek beyond my interest in it. Secondly, I was shocked he knew there was a Shatner controversy with this thing. Third, I was shocked he was presuming to tell me about the Trek teaser, which I had seen about 15 times before he told me about it

As far as his "Shatner's in it!" comment goes, he just can't tell the difference between Nimoy and the Shat by voice alone. But he knew it was someone from the original cast so I guess that bodes well for general audience recognition as far as that goes.

 

[Tom]

Yeah the numbers on the webstite and trailer are way to low. The trailer is well over 100 grand if not alot more due to the CGI. As for the sites they pay for a professional flash and web developer. The domain ncc-1701.com was owned by a private company called Weat International Communications, but im not sure if they paid them or just or took the name threatening legal action due to use of tradmark (ncc-1701).

Anyways, good move so far, but keep in mind that Paramount and Viacom have a whole team of marketers, it is not just Abrams.

 

[slappy]

Wowbagger said:
He's whipped us into a frenzy, which is a very different claim from whipping the population into a frenzy. Anyone have non-Trekkie friends with a reaction to the teaser?

That said... any trailer that sends chills down my spine is a winner. And you'd have to be Vulcan not to get a little chill when JFK says, "The eyes of the world... now look into space."

I think he had the Trekkies when he said he was making a Trek movie. I think he got the mainstream's ear when the announced he was the producer andrecast Kirk. Yeah, they're paying attention out there.

The new Trek trailer didn't elicit a single groan from the audience I was with, and a couple of oohs. After what Trek had been perceived as lately, that's a good start.

 

[slappy]

FleetLord said:
Yeah the numbers on the webstite and trailer are way to low. The trailer is well over 100 grand if not alot more due to the CGI. As for the sites they pay for a professional flash and web developer. The domain ncc-1701.com was owned by a private company called Weat International Communications, but im not sure if they paid them or just or took the name threatening legal action due to use of tradmark (ncc-1701).

Agreed about the trailer, but how many of those people were ALREADY working for them? No doubt Paramount has teams of designers working on everything all the time. This was probably a day out of one guy's time. I've known fellow art majors who could put that site together quick.

 

[section9]

B & B managed to kill Trek for the general public with the way the Preachy and Politically Correct 24th Century and its psychoanalysis, its sterile living, and it's lack of true risk, managed to drive the Radiant Future into everyone's skulls.

JJ Abrams insight was the realization that the Kirk/Spock/McCoy character triangle was a gold mine, and that Paramount shouldn't be allowed to bury it.

 

[Tom]

slappy said:

FleetLord said:
Yeah the numbers on the webstite and trailer are way to low. The trailer is well over 100 grand if not alot more due to the CGI. As for the sites they pay for a professional flash and web developer. The domain ncc-1701.com was owned by a private company called Weat International Communications, but im not sure if they paid them or just or took the name threatening legal action due to use of tradmark (ncc-1701).

Agreed about the trailer, but how many of those people were ALREADY working for them? No doubt Paramount has teams of designers working on everything all the time. This was probably a day out of one guy's time. I've known fellow art majors who could put that site together quick.

Yes true, a massive company like Viacom usually has a good size web development team. Still, time is money..unless your on salary . LOL

 

[moonman]

Abrams was a guest of Opie and Anthony today. XM Radio. No new news to report but he had them talking Trek. He is reaching many demographs already. I have non Trek fans excited for this film.

Nice work JJ. This is exactly the type of buzz that is needed after the recent luke warm series/movies.

 

[CommanderRaytas]

Two of my best friends, who know basically nothing about Trek other than "Captain Kirk" and the fact that I'm a Trekkie, told me they definitely want to check out the movie in December.

People have been talking about it on Hannover's hip radio station, during rush hour, as one of the year's movie highlights.

I believe that the general audience will be fairly interested in it as a scifi movie and as something they recognise, only re-imagined.

And the whole thing is still 11 months away. I think JJ really knows what he's doing.

 

[Sharr Khan]

I don't doubt that Paramount knew this about Abrams when they greenlit this project. Its one of the best things that could ever occur to Star Trek.

Sharr

 

[Samurai8472]

12: Having your name worshipped by thousands of star trek fans?....Priceless

 

[Ro_Laren]

I agree that he is a marketing genius!