Rant: Viral Marketing Is Not Real Fandom

By Josh Tyler: 2008-04-29 17:01:34

Nearly a decade ago now, Lord of the Rings revolutionized the way filmmakers and Hollywood in general interacted with potential moviegoers. They did it by letting fans inside the process, letting us see how the making of the movie happened. The results were stupendous, with eager Hobbiteers frantically clicking on the internet for the latest from New Zealand, their anticipation and excitement building as they were allowed along for the ride as something magical happened.

In the years since, Hollywood has all but abandoned this way of thinking, replacing it with something else entirely. Gone is the legitimate interaction between franchises and their supporters. In its place is something evil, something insidious, something called Viral Marketing.

What is it? Rather than inviting fans into the worlds they support with their money, Hollywood now uses fans as free marketing placards who wander around their cities and the internet spreading the word about whatever it is they care about, usually for absolutely no real reward. People who participate in it, people who make their living off of pushing it, and bloggers using it as a way to position themselves as “fan friendly” will tell you it’s the ultimate way to prove you you’re a real fan. They pitch it to you under the guise of “being a part of something”, but all you’re really a part of is another big, corporate marketing push. It’s all artifice.

Don’t be fooled. Viral marketing doesn’t let you be a part of anything. It’s designed specifically to keep you at arm’s length. With Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson let us be a part of the process. We were there as he made his movie, geeking out along with him as cool stuff happened. Viral marketing doesn’t let you inside the movie. When The Dark Knight or Lost sends fans scrabbling around city streets looking for bowling balls… what does that really have to do with Batman or Lost? Nothing. It’s a fake, utterly unrelated game invented by some highly paid marketing team to keep you busy. They aren’t letting you inside their world or inviting you to participate in or be a part of the movie. They’re giving you something simply to keep you thinking in vague, general terms about their movie while shoving you out of the way and investing the absolute minimum amount of effort possible. It’s fan busywork. They don’t have to do anything, you’re doing all the work for them. You’re a mouse, in a cage, running on an exercise wheel. To be nice, they’ve stuck a Batman picture up in front of you, so that you can pretend you’re running towards your favorite superhero.

And that folks, is now what passes for passionate fandom. Somehow caring about Batman or whatever it is, is supposed to translate into you wasting your time doing something which has absolutely nothing to do with whatever it is that you care about. Look, if you’re having fun running around the web or your city participating in these viral marketing campaigns, then ok, go for it. But don’t tell me that it means you’re a passionate fan. Passionate fans are those like the fans of Jericho, who kept their television show on through sheer force of will. Passionate fans are fans of Serenity, who (for better or worse) on their own got organized to go out and drag people kicking and screaming to the movie they loved. Passionate fans are Star Wars fans, lining up outside theaters days, weeks, and months in advance of a movie that may not even be any good, not because some Viral told them to but because they can’t live another second without seeing it. A passionate fan is the guy who dresses up as three-hole-punch Jim for Halloween, even though none of his friends watch The Office, and he’ll probably be the only person at the party who finds it funny.

Passionate fandom happens naturally, organically, out of the love people have for whatever it is they are into. Passionate fandom happens when people get together to geek out about whatever it is they love. Passionate fandom happens at conventions and in basements and in front of computer screens all across this country. Passionate fandom happened ten years ago when Peter Jackson invited us onto his set, let us see his movie happen, and then we all got together to talk about how awesome seeing Gandalf on screen for the first time was going to be.

Passionate fandom does not happen when some big corporation’s business division puts together a scavenger hunt or a lame, fake novelty website in an effort to fool fans into thinking they’re a part of something, when they absolutely are not. Passionate fandom is something that happens on its own, springing from the sheer energy people generate by loving something. Filmmakers like Peter Jackson, Bryan Singer, and Kevin Smith, once gave us a conduit for letting that sort of passionate fandom happen, by talking to us on our level, and giving us something incredible to be excited about.

Viral Marketing is paint by numbers fandom designed to generate excitement over nothing. It’s not real. It’s a game, but you’re not the one controlling it. You’re a pawn, being pushed around a board by companies with money to burn and a message to shove down people’s throats. The Dark Knight, Cloverfield and all the other viral marketing offenders like them are shutting us out, making us scrabble for whatever meager scraps they deem throw us from their table, and keeping us too busy to notice that we aren’t really a part of anything. Viral marketing is a cardboard cut out of what real fandom is supposed to be. Enjoy the games, but don’t believe for a second that they’re anything but empty games.

RELATED: fandom, rant, viral marketing

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bobby xmen Says:
April 29th, 2008 at 17:30
yes you are exactly right! great post!

dan Gura Jr. Says:
April 29th, 2008 at 19:19
yeah but what viral marketing does do is at times mends the fictional premise of the movie into our real world, rising the cinematic attraction

John Says:
April 29th, 2008 at 19:19
Clearly you have something against Batman or Chris Nolan. Every time you talk about this new series of films you have something negative to say. What is your deal?

You don't like the viral marketing? That's fine, but there is no need to rant about it. Some of us like the experience we're getting.

Just get over it.

JoshT Says:
April 29th, 2008 at 19:22
John, technically there's no need to ever talk about anything. We could all just sit at home alone and stare at the wall.

But we do talk about things, because we're human beings. I chose to talk about this thing, because it's something that I feel strongly about, and something I'd like to see change.

Simply saying "get over it" doesn't nullify anything I had to say. If you disagree, tell us why! That's what this space and the site's forum is for.

Pat Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 00:04
It seems that passionate fans happen in spite of big corporations and then they don't know what to do with them!

We Jericho fans are passionate enough to continue the fight - we WILL find Jericho a new home.

Daniel Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 00:04
Josh,

I was totally into your anti-corporate message but then you strayed off point and began insinuating that the people involved in this are NOT real fans. They are. They are no less fans than the Star Wars fans. They are the same types that will see TDK 10 or more times in the theater and drag everyone they know with them to see it. They are the ones who have spent the last 3 years since BB came out constantly debating back and forth every little detail that came out about this movie, such as the permawhite Joker issue, the cut-smile issue, the "you can never top Jack's Joker" issue, the problems in Batman Begins that need to be improved such as the fight scenes, and on and on.

These people ARE passionate and your column seems to degrade that passion. They aren't just casually interested in this. They would follow the film's development REGARDLESS. I know because I'm one of them. It's pretty insulting the way you tried to put Batfans down in comparison with other fanbases. I do agree with you that they are manipulating us so that they can sell the movie in an easier, cheaper fashion with essentially human movie posters walking around in Joker masks, etc.

JoshT Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 00:07
Daniel,

I think you mistake what I'm trying to say... either that or I'm not saying it properly, which is entirely possible.

I'm not saying the people participating in these things are not themselves real fans. I'm saying that the simple act of participating in this stuff does not make you a "real fan".

I'm not putting down the Batman fanbase, I'm putting down the Batman viral marketing campaign... and the only reason I'm using that one as an example is because it is by far the most prominent and because it is the most current.

Viral marketing is everywhere, and it certainly isn't limited to Batman.

VeeMaxx Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 00:07
Josh,

Thanks for mentioning Jericho. You bet we fans are passionate! as you mentioned, our efforts saved it once and as you probably know, we're working to save it again!

www.jerichonet2.com

Rangerette Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 00:40
As a passionate Jericho Ranger I have to say Thank you for the mention of our campaign to save our show yet again!!! We are working tirelessly to get our show onto another network. And if sheer will has anything to do with it Rangers will SUCCEED!!!

Daniel Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 00:41
Josh,

I do agree that it doesn't make them any more of a fan than the rest of us that are on the message boards. In fact, the online people got screwed yesterday, including myself. Luckily one of the people on the ground in Brazil bailed us out and got us a leaked one. We all spent a ton of time working on it and in my case, procrastinating from studying for finals. So by the end of the game I was pretty pissed to say the least, but I stayed up a while longer and then of course was very happy that someone managed to pull off a bootleg of it. WB shouldn't screw with the fans like they have constantly done.

There is an aspect to this that I think you are missing. Batman Begins, as good of a film as it was, had piss poor marketing. Most fans hated its marketing and many of us are willing to provide free marketing to WB by participating in the virals if that helps sell the movie. Many of us feel it's a freakin' crime that crap like Spider-Man 3 makes $890 million worldwide and Batman Begins makes $370 million. I think The Dark Knight was going to increase over Batman Begins by default, but the marketing for this puppy has been so much better. The best part of it to me is that they have revealed next to nothing about the plot of the movie yet still managed to create a couple of trailers that should pump up anyone with a pulse.

John Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 14:58
Josh, you're right, technically there's no need to ever talk about anything, but I guarantee that nothing will change by your rant.

I wasn't trying to nullify anything you had to say. So it's not clear why I disagree? I think it does give a me a chance to be part of the film. I run a Batman website that is updated on a regular basis. There has never been anything like this and in the years to come I can say I was there to be a part of it.

Now, why not tell us why you are saying negative things about this film series.

JoshT Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 15:00
John, I don't see anywhere on this page where I said anything negative about the actual Batman films. It's definitely not a part of this topic.

LG Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 15:00
I think the fact that 12 fans got actual 35mm copies of the trailer with each last frame defaced by the joker as a prize totally contradicts your theory that this viral marketing plan is keeping the fans at arms length.

JoshT Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 15:01
LG: It would if there were only 12 fans in the world. Or even only 12 fans participating.

LG Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 15:02
If you look at the entire viral marketing campaign for The Dark Knight (you can see the time line at http://batman.wikibruce.com/Beginners_Guide) you'll see that there's a brilliant story behind all the hunts and other events that have taken/are taking place. They'll all linked to the story in a really clever way. I think the effort that's gone into this campaign is pretty incredible. It's not totally unconnected to the film as there is a story that links all of the 50 or so viral websites. I think it is giving something back to the fans because it all adds to the story and above all it's fun. Just because one event was running off to bowling lanes - doesn't mean it should be viewed out of context as a silly stunt to keep fans vaguely thinking about the film. I guess it's all part of the plan ;o)

reggie Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 15:04
Uh, story tip! http://www.artemiseternal.com
also here http://www.boingboing.net/2008/04/29/get-involved-in-prod.html

This filmmaker has been out talking about the points you've raised to the press.
I can't say enough about this project so I'll let you explore it yourself. I'd really be interested to see you personally get the scoop from her. Maybe you could get some kind of exclusive?

Pokerstar317 Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 15:33
You have missed the point Josh... They all knew beforehand that not everyone was going to win a prize at the end of the day. It's about the experience in the adventure, not the reward. Thats just the icing on the cake.

dunce Says:
April 30th, 2008 at 22:59
I'm not about to reveal my sources and you can not believe me but this is true:

You're wrong about the masterminds behind the Batman viral campaign. Warner Brother, aka "the corporation," has nothing to do with it. This entire campaign has been masterminded by Chris Nolan and his people. He is an intensely private filmmaker who does not feel comfortable showing others his process or putting it out there for the world to see. Because Peter Jackson opens his workshop to fans it does not mean everyone has to, and it certainly does not mean the fans are entitled to this. However, Nolan understands the fans want to be engaged. This is why he has created this viral campaign. It's his way of getting fans into the world of the movie and expanding the story he's telling with it.

In the end, though, I don't know how Peter Jackson showing some videos of him working out of New Zealand is making fans more of a "part" of the filmmaking process. In fact, I don't even understand why you feel entitled to be part of the process. If you want to be part of the filmmaking process make a movie or get a job working for a movie studio. Movies are here for you to watch. These viral campaigns are here to entertain you.

Basically, I have no idea what you're talking about except that it's based on assumptions that are completely wrong.

jard Says:
May 1st, 2008 at 02:59
Lost was not so much a viral marketing scheme, but an "alternate reality game" which was actually involved in telling part of the story and added new info.

LG Says:
May 1st, 2008 at 14:11
JoshT:

That's ridiculous! They can't give 35mm film to every single fan! The fact that this viral has given some fans this gift - which to be honest is one of the coolest things you could own as a fan - shows that it's not just some shallow, empty wild goose chase that doesn't care about the fans.

So they may have got a marketing team involved to help them but so what?! You don't have to be an elitist geek in a basement to be a true fan. Some people have even said that this campaign IS preaching to the converted. I don't know any non fans taking part! They could have spent all that money advertising on TV to get people involved who know nothing about the film - rather than making some fun games for the fans.

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