CHRISTOPHER NOLAN’S HYPE TRAIN HAS LEFT THE STATION!

The Dark Knight’s viral campaign was remarkable to say the least.  Each and every poster, trailer, TV spot, website and Easter egg built up an ‘event’ rather than just another summer release.

why so serious poster

With Inception, Nolan and his team were tasked with promoting an entirely new and complex world.  The resulting marketing campaign was amazing and once again, the movie delivered on the incredible hype surrounding it.

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I’ve always been fascinated by movie marketing.   Successes and failures.  It’s incredible to think about how many times a trailer promotes a movie that doesn’t really exist.  Misleading trailers and horrific posters comprised of floating heads and bad Photoshop are everywhere.  But there are also trailers you have to watch 42 times the day they show up online.  There are posters you save as your desktop wallpaper.  There are inspiring promotional materials everywhere.

Throughout the last 5-10 years, Christopher Nolan and his team have done a remarkable job selling the movies he directs.  I remember when people doubted whether or not a Batman ‘reboot’ could truly erase the horror that is Batman & Robin…   It did.

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The brilliant marketing behind these epic films evolved as the world did embracing social media and the power of viral marketing.  I still remember following all the scavenger hunts and clues ‘The Joker’ left in strategic locations.  Promotional materials for The Dark Knight were everywhere.  They led to unique and secret websites.  They revealed hints about the plot.  They generated hype.

Of course, we all saw the results of that marketing campaign.  533 Million domestic and an Oscar for Heath Ledger’s legendary performance as The Joker.

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Who knows what’s in store for the final chapter of this incredible film series.  The Dark Knight Rises is still months away but it’s clear the marketing campaign will once again raise the bar. We’ve already been treated to an amazing teaser trailer giving us our first brief glimpse of Bane.  It was a trailer largely comprised of reused footage from the first 2 films…  And it was amazing.

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I wasn’t surprised.  The teaser for The Dark Knight didn’t contain any footage at all and it still gives me chills.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES PROLOGUE

Nolan and co. just unleashed a 6 minute prologue in front of IMAX prints of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.  I had a ticket for a 2pm screening and had to take a bus, a subway and a cab to get there on time.  I’m thankful I did.  To say that the sequence is big is an understatement.  It’s like Nolan sat in a room and thought about how cool it was to flip over a transport in The Dark Knight.  Then he challenged himself to go bigger.

“I know… Let’s flip and rip apart a PLANE…  In mid air!”

Everyone’s reactions are generally the same online.  The prologue is incredible but some of Bane’s lines are difficult to understand.  While it’s true, it does give Nolan the opportunity to go back and clean up some of the lines through ADR.  What I don’t understand is how some people objected to Bane’s accent.  I think his voice sounds awesome overall when you can understand what he is saying.  It’s an amazing introduction to a relentless and volatile Bane.  I can’t wait to see him break Batman.

TRAILER #2

Just days after unleashing a fantastic poster and the epic prologue sequence, fans were also treated to a brand new and equally awesome trailer!

“When Gotham is ashes…  You have my permission to die.”

It’s another phenomenal trailer that gives us a glimpse at all the major characters without spoiling much of the story.  Check out this link for a detailed breakdown of the prologue and trailer.  There are a few shots of a cane suggesting Batman/Bruce Wayne is seriously injured in some way.  Will Bane break the Bat?  It makes me sad that July 20th, 2012 is so far away…

All of these announcements and reveals have been supported by secret ‘leaked’ CIA documents, websites, tweets, features in magazines and more.  Who knows what more we can expect from the film’s marketing department in the next 9 months.

I certainly helps the impossibly long wait before we get to see the film.

Need to catch up on the Batman franchise before the big release next year? You can watch films with LOVEFiLM online or by DVD rental at your convenience.