Viral Newspaper Ads
POSTED BY: 11thHour
UPDATED: Monday, June 11, 2007 02:23
VIEWED: 21783
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"Viral newspaper ads" is a guerilla marketing idea which combines a celebration of Serenity with promotion of the movie and Universal, with the fans themselves.
The idea is place a flurry of "viral" newspaper ads in newspapers, big and small, all across the country to mark September 30th, Serenity 'Versary. The thing that will make the difference to continuing the 'Verse is to increase our audience by recruiting new FF/S fans out there in the greater world. We need to reach out to people who aren't necessarily Sci-Fi fans or travel the same online roads that we do. The great thing about Firefly and Serenity is that someone doesn't have to be a Sci-Fi to enjoy them enormously. We need to tap the greater potential audience out there.
One ad in a newspaper could be missed... but if we could spread small ads throughout newspapers, then people would begin to notice them. Big ads are also expensive, but an alternative could be to create eye-catching, cool small newspaper ads sprinkled throughout the paper. These are much less expensive to place, and can be set up to be sponsored by fans on a per ad basis.
Also, people sometimes only read one section of the newspaper... so we can make ads which match different sections of the newspaper. Ads that are designed to work in the Classified section, Entertainment, Home section, Sports, etc. They would all be highly visual, but have copy that plays off the featured section. For example, in the Classified section we could have an ad for renting a shuttle... with a blurb about it being used for a short while by a "bonafied Companion", and describe it in a way that gives a flavor of FF/S. The ad's contact would be of course Capt. Malcolm Reynolds. A Classified ad could be for a Mercenary and a take-off on the scene in Out of Gas.
Ads with a high "WTF?" factor will get people curious. But this "WTF?" factor has to be geared to reaching folks who aren't necessarily Sci-Fi fans. These ads will not be ads in the traditional sense. Rather they are "mock" ads sharing the same areas as the regular newspaper ads, but doing so in an off the wall, unique way... almost like alternative universe ads sharing the same space! The ads are either addressing matters that only exist in the Firefly/Serenity world, or they're just flat out thank you/congratulation ads singing the praises of Universal... and you gotta think that a movie studio will appreciate some free and shiny publicity from the fans!
Just wanted to toss a few preliminary ideas out to give everyone an sense of the direction I was thinking for the viral newspaper ads. These are first tries, nothing set in stone yet, but it gets the ball rolling... (Yeah, used more than one cliché there, but at least I didn't mention running something up a flagpole and the saluting thing... heh...)
Ideas for Classified ads:
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• STANDARD SHORT RANGE SPACE SHUTTLE FOR RENT •
Space worthy • Not overly smallish • Will break atmo from wide orbit • Has a few miles on it.
Get you where you need to go, bring you back home again.
Inquiries to: Malcolm Reynolds, Capt. of Serenity
Cortex link: www.fireflyfans.net
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GOT GOODS YOU NEED MOVED?
Planet to planet transport -- low profile.
We ain't too particular about legalities.
Show us the coin. We'll get the job done.
NO FEDS.
Inquiries to: M. Reynolds, Capt. of Serenity
Cortex link: www.fireflyfans.net
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The Personal ads can also be a rich field to explore:
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• 6'4" Muscular SWM Seeks Willin' Woman •
"Hero of Canton", Merc for hire, Good tracker
Once hit a guy in the neck at five hundred yards with a bent scope.
Has own bunk on Firefly class spaceship.
Lookin' for a good grapple • no strings
Jayne (I ain't a girl) Cobb
Cortex link: www.fireflyfans.net
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Stella
Keep the iPod, t
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Just posting a couple of examples of what one of the text ads might look like when printed in a paper, and a graphic ad.
A "Classified" ad...
and our wonderful Kaylee... always a good choice to send warm wishes!
These are just quick examples I whipped up to help better illustrate the idea.
Also a Classified style ad doesn't necessarily have to be placed in that section. The ad would stand out even more if it looked like a Classified ad, but was placed, in an enlarged format, in some other part of the paper. This would go a long way to the "WTF?" factor that gets attention. 
11th Hour
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I love it!
Looking for a shiny ride.
Try a tranport ship - standard rayon excellerator
core class code 03-K64 Firefly.
Mule is included.
Contact:
Captain Malcolm Reynolds
Universal Studios
_______________________________
Mal: Saffron, you're pleasing, you're all kinds of pleasing, and uhh...it's been awhile, a long damn while, since anybody but me took a hold of my plow.
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Great idea!
This is something that all Browncoats might be able to afford to do in small form. I'm gonna check my local papers and see how much it would cost me to run some in each.
Might be a good time to begin a few of these to peak folks interest. HBO is running our lovely movie right now. If someone saw an ad they might connect it!
This could be just as shiny as a big ad like in Variety if there were enough of them all across the country, all around the world. Has anyone ever done anything like this before? Saying thank you for a movie in print all around the world? No, I don't think so.
Browncoats can do this. It would be a mighty accomplishment.
Sure get Universal's attention!
From here to the eyes and the ears of the 'Verse
http://www.geocities.com/browncoatsignalcorps/
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Did anyone see the Forever Knight advertisement in the Sci Fi Magazine this past time? It really truly is what we are trying to achieve. Just thought I would throw that out there.
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this looks shiny...
but if we want tit to appear in time for spet 30th, we better put in place well before that day because of deadlines etc. Maybe I can put in the University's paper. And I will look into putting ads in the free weekly newspapers in montreal ,it has wide wide circulation. How about online sites too?? What about craigslist.org etc, or would that be considered bad form?
Prakash
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Fun idea, 11thHour!
Not exactly 'viral', as it's not quite self-replicating... but a cool idea, regardless.
And if someone could come up with something just right, we could clip it and send it in to Leno for his "headlines" segment. (not that they'd take it, but it'd be fun anyhow)
Other places to sneak some ads in:
-alternative college papers with free personals
-programs for school plays and concerts / band competitions (these usually have ads/messages that the announcer makes between bands) / football games
-church bulletins
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ain't. We. Just.
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Quote:
Originally posted by VerseExplorer:
I love it!
Looking for a shiny ride.
Try a tranport ship - standard rayon excellerator
core class code 03-K64 Firefly.
Mule is included.
_______________________________
I know what you mean ! But I think it would be spelled "radion-accelerator" .
The rayon-excellerator is the thing they use to make Wash's Hawaiian-floweredy shirts !
Keep the Faith . Share the Love . Feel the Joy !
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Thanks, Out2theBlack, I am definitely no Kaylee. I appreciate your eye for detail. Although KURYA posted:
Quote:
this looks shiny...
but if we want tit to appear in time for spet 30th
you didn't correct the spelling, or are you hoping for the "tit" to appear?
_______________________________
Mal: Saffron, you're pleasing, you're all kinds of pleasing, and uhh...it's been awhile, a long damn while, since anybody but me took a hold of my plow.
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