Film studios have been testing ways to best fit into the nexus between real-world marketing and promotion via social gaming. The key, of course, is for the film’s storyline to mesh with the theme of the social game. Universal Pictures film, Fast Five, has found that perfect fit with the Facebook-based social game Car Town. The film stars Vin Diesel, fast cars and road races set amid beautiful Brazilian scenery.
What makes this promotion unique is that Universal has taken advantage of many of the features Cie Games, the social networking publisher and creator of Car Town, offers. For example, players will be surprised to encounter an in-game incentive of virtual gifts to purchase tickets while they play the game.
The promotion will roll out in phases and include a significant number of clips from the film integrated into the game. For example, special missions tie-in with Fast Five’s storyline and the franchise’s fastest, most recognizable cars. Players will also encounter in-game micro transactions, the ticket purchasing promotion. Tightly integrated into the online play is an offline home entertainment retail component.
The promotion begins today in advance of the April 29 opening of the film with players able to view the movie trailer at the in-game drive-in theater environment and race in a virtual Rio de Janeiro, the city in which the latest chapter in the franchise takes place.
The game represents the most extensive full-scale integration to date of a Universal Pictures film property within an existing social game. Fast Five, stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson. The film opens April 29, 2011. The game will be promoted in-theater, online and via social media channels. Regal Entertainment Group operates 6,775 screens in 37 states.
The growth of social gaming was one of the notable trends in online marketing last year. A study from eMarketer concludes that 53 million U.S. Web users, or 24% of the online audience, played at least one social game a month in 2010. And the marketing research firm expects that number to grow to 61.9 million players this year (27% of U.S. Web users) and 68.7 million (29%) in 2012.
Other brands that have tapped into Car Town include State Farm, which launched branded challenges in the game and Toyota, which introduced new Prius models with rewards.
FarmVille is reportedly the most popular of the social games available on Facebook. The farming game, a product of maker Zynga, is said to have 62 million active users and last year spread to Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices as well as to Microsoft’s MSN Games Web site. It has attracted brands like Farmer’s Insurance and its branded blimp that hovers over crops and protects players’ fields. McDonald’s ran a branding game and 7-eleven has populated its store brands and cups with access codes for use with Farmville, Mafia Wars and YoVille.
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