14 DAY TRIAL // Advertising campaigns usually follow certain tried and true paths, but once in a while, a company or group of companies will try something new, and Warner Brothers is doing just that for The Hobbit: Desolation.
Well, it's not a totally new tactic, since drawing attention to a new product by offering free goodies is something that is done all the time.
Doing it for a trailer is unusual though, especially when the “goodie” is something that most people won't have any way to use.
After all, few own a 3D printer, and 3D printing stores and services aren't exactly widespread either, for now anyway.
But we are getting ahead of ourselves. The news, here, is that the trailer for The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug is accompanied by a free 3D model of The Key of Erebor.
The ad campaign is running, or will run soon enough, across Windows 8, MSN, Xbox 360. The 3D printer blueprint will be accompanied by interactive information about character biographies, artefacts, events, the characters themselves, desktop wallpaper, behind the scenes videos, etc.
“We’re incredibly excited about this integrated partnership opportunity,” said Danni Murray, director of media and marketing partnerships, Warner Bros. UK & Ireland.
“We asked Microsoft to come up with a solution that challenged the previous conventions around what was possible with its display offering and we’re confident this interactive campaign will excite and engage fans as they journey into the second film in the Trilogy.”
Oddly, though, the download will only become available on December 13, 2013, when the film is released to cinemas.
The ultimate goal of the ad campaign is to draw people to the official “The Hobbit Website,” set up specially for the movie trilogy. Given the times and better software and hardware resources, it's no surprise that the site is arguably better, more refined as it were, than the one The Lord of the Rings got in its day and age.