Iron Man 2 - Marketing campaign research

The film
The film Iron Man 2 is a Marvel films production that was distribute by Paramount pictures and released in April 2010. It was made on a budget of $200,000,000 and grossed $623,433,331. The marketing budget alone was reported to be up to $100,000,000, a massive sum.


Television
At San Diego comic con in 2009 (A sort of Nerd Mecca, appealing massively to the 18-30 male market) a five minute teaser trailer was shown, before being released online. A cinematic release trailer was shown infront of Sherlock Holmes in late 2009, another film featuring Robert Downey Jr. in the main role. Many other companies launched promotions alongside Iron Man 2 including an absolutely terrible LG website (http://www.lgim2.com/) and a reasonably funny LG advert (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKSjTO6WBJo). Many other companies advertised including Burger King in the UK and many US partners. After the release date, a one or two minute section of the film was released online, the well publicised (In nerd circles) briefcase scene, in which Tony Stark pushes a button on a red and gold suitcase, and his suit forms around him. It was thoroughly awesome.




Posters
The first posters to be released featured simply the number two in the iconic Iron Man font and a release date, before character posters were released. At roughly the same time, fake newspaper clippings about Tony Stark, often with his name highlighted and shown in a dingy, dark, torn manner, were released. This was, in my opinion, the first real innovative marketing material released. Ater these, the marketing went back to a standard generic campaign with the expected posters released with more detail as time passed.




Website
http://ironmanmovie.marvel.com/


The website has a very high tech mise-en-scene as you are greeted with flashy 3D menus and numbers and code flashing about everywhere. There are many conventional features including downloads, availability to view all other forms of media online and also downloads, social network links and cast biographies. Despite the visual extravaganza, I found the website limited in features and didn't like the idea of having two separate navigation menus.


There was also a different website set up after comic con for 'Stark industries', which featured an opportunity to apply for a job there. This was later adapted to become a website for StarkExpo2010, which although it was also limited, would have drummer up much interest in the film to devoted fans. However, the existence of this website was not brilliantly publicised so it would not have attracted too many viewers who were not already going to see it.


Merchandise
Iron Man was already a large brand due to the success of the Marvel comics, the TV series and also the prequel to the film. Many action figures, typical of action adventure films, were released, alongside comics, (bad) computer games, and a novelisation.


The Bottom Line
The marketing campaign was very successful, but as a media student, I was not impressed. There were many reasonable ideas, some good ideas, but looking at it now, there wasn't the spark or the edge that would knock me off my feet, something I wouldn't be expecting that would have convinced me to see the film.I expect the tactics of Paramount, the distributors, would have been to flood the market, so everyone would know that it was on. In this respect, I was impressed, recalling that the day I did see it with a non-media student friend, when we were deciding what to see on the way to the cinema, all he could think of that was on was Iron Man 2 (although to be fair, no other big films had the same release time). I think that the success of the marketing did not justify the extravagant cost, as due to the small film market that April to May, this was already the only film that stood out to the target audience members.