The blair witch project used a lowbudget internet campaign to create buzz for the movie. Find books like the blair witch project from the worlds largest community of readers. How the blair witch project pioneered internet marketing. Meet the don draper of guerrilla marketing takepart. The term was coined by jay conrad levinson in his book guerrilla advertising.
One of the most famous examples is the blair witch project, a film that was promoted using guerrilla marketing efforts. As the millennium approached, horror was becoming an unusual commodity. The hype over the blair witch project has become so pervasive that such cultural barometers as mtv and saturday night live have taken to parodying the endless parodies of the little indie that. Review some of the most insane guerrilla marketing campaigns ever executed.
In case you missed it first time around, heres a quick rundown of the movie. Is the blair witch project real revisiting one of the. The nature of the production obviously helped this being a lowquality documentary style feature using unknown actors. The blair witch project how the blair witch project changed horror for ever the movies marketing took advantage of trust in the early internet, but fake news isnt what it used to be. The main theme behind the blair witch project s marketing campaign was to establish uncertainly among the public. The flops, the total flops, and the rare successes. Every single tactic carried out revolved around stirring confusion among potential movie viewers. How the blair witch project invented modern movie marketing. Whether the blair witch project gets under your skin with its subtle spookiness or annoys with its deliberate pacing and shaky camera movement, it is a fantastic time capsule into 1999 guerrilla.
The blair witch project arguably the most important aspect of a successful guerrilla campaign is staying one step ahead of the public. Blair witch project ist ein usamerikanischer horrorfilm aus dem jahr 1999. A companion to the movie the blair witch project includes an account of the case from a private investigator. The original blair witch project was the first movie that gained infamy on the internet. The most successful viral marketing campaign of all time took place before youtube, twitter and facebook existed.
Books similar to the blair witch project goodreads. How to pull off a guerrilla marketing campaign small. Before sponsored content there was the blair witch project. The challenge of following up the most effective marketing campaign ever inside the blair witch marketing campaign, and the difficulty of following a landmark in the history of movies. The viral marketing for blair witch is as mind boggling. From the beginning, it was to be lowbudget, guerrilla project. As blair witch 2016 takes to the box office, the drum catches up with of one of the. The blair witch project is the story of three student filmmakers, heather donahue, joshua leonard and. The blair witch project and its universe was the first successful viral marketing campaign to take place on the internet and today. Here are the five key tactics used to bring about the unbelievable success of the blair witch. And whatever the outcome, if these campaigns have one thing in common, its that theyre all totally shocking.
Marketing costs for this production completely outweighed the actual budget of filming. Heather donahue born december 22, 1974 is an american writer and retired actress, known for her role in the 1999 sleeper hit film the blair witch project, which grossed nearly a. I think the blair witch project was the first example of what the power of fandom would do in hollywood, said monello, now the founder of campfire, an entertainment marketing agency. Levinsons book guerrilla marketing, first published in the early 1980s, has sold. Usa today notably declared the blair witch project as the first film to go. Were going to explore the universe of the blair witch project. This post is going to revisit guerrilla marketing campaigns that fall into all three of those camps. How 1999s the blair witch project foretold hollywoods. How the blair witch project changed horror for ever film. Special features include the documentary curse of the blair witch, a fiveminute newly discovered footage, audio commentary, production notes, and cast and crew biographies. How the original blair witch project ushered in a new era of viral.
It seemed that a balance could not be found that would please everyone. The blair witch universe explained inside a mind youtube. If you thought the blair witch project was scary, try real life in burkittsville, where last years hit horror movie was filmed. The roots of the woods movie, which would later become the blair witch project, were first cemented in 1993. Blair witch project, a film that was promoted using guerrilla marketing efforts.
Eighteen years ago, a starfree indie movie called the blair witch project became the first movie to focus its marketing strategy around the thenemerging internet with its own dedicated. Even today, the blair witch project is one of the top lowbudget films. The term was popularized by jay conrad levinsons 1984 book guerrilla marketing. Guerrilla marketing is an advertisement strategy in which a company uses surprise andor unconventional interactions in order to promote a product or service. The blair witch project is a 1999 american psychological horror film that was produced by five graduates of the university of central florida film program with a minimal budget and a camera. Low budget horror films flooded the home video market while their big budget counterparts took hold at the box office. One of the most famous examples is the blair witch project, a film that was.
The marketing, which went viral even before viral marketing was a buzz word, solidified the legend. The most successful viral marketing campaign of all time centred on a small, lowbudget indie flick in 1999 called the blair witch project. A companion to the movie the blair witch project includes an account of. Guerrilla marketing is actually a unique, intriguing way to surge your brand. Goodreads members who liked the blair witch project also liked. The locals reckon that it will turn your hair white in a month. Project guerrilla guerrilla marketing hq the blair. Guerilla marketing is an unconventional marketing tactic often used by small. The blair witch project was released on vhs and dvd on october 22, 1999 by artisan, presented in a 1.