Jurassic World, the fourth in the now 22-year-old franchise, posted an opening weekend box office of just over $500m (£316m). That’s big. Bigger than a T-Rex. To put it in context, most healthy box office hits would dream of taking that much in their entire run. Jurassic World did it in a few days.
Despite a challenging climate and a constant battle to ensure healthy cinema admissions, an increasing number of major franchise movies are reaching $1bn in global revenue. Primarily, this is due to growing audiences in China and other international markets. To cater for this demand, the studios deliver movies that appeal to every age and, more importantly, every market.
These movies are now supported by global marketing campaigns that connect at every level. The roar of a dinosaur sells in any language, while the unique dialogue of the Minions means kids from London to Mexico City think they come from their home town. Studios cast local talent in pivotal roles, shoot in key cities and edit the movies so key placement and sequences are more relevant to the region.
This is great news for global brands looking for a partnership platform to help them dominate the key regions cost effectively. They’re spoilt for choice and in my opinion, there’s nothing to rival the reach and connection that an association with a major release such as Jurassic World or Minions can deliver.
All major movies are released globally either on the same date or within a two to three week window, helping to prevent piracy. This ensures a brand partner can activate its association across all markets easily, and capitalise on the studio marketing investment that is heavily concentrated in the days before release. The studios also compete with each other to secure these global brands, so there is a smart deal to be done commercially.
Most importantly for brands, the majority of film characters can now feature in a creative campaign more effectively than previously. Studios and rights holders are willing to engage in truly creative partnerships that will connect in all territories. We’ve seen James Bond hop on the Heineken train for Skyfall in 115 markets and Spider Man meeting the Evian-baby version of himself. Partnerships such as these allow global brands to reach even further, creating engaging campaigns that connect with consumers around the globe.
Rich Barnes is head of partnerships at Brand & Deliver
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