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Avatar TV Spot: Selling Cameron to Kids

Posted on Monday, November 9th, 2009 by Russ Fischer

Avatar

Fox won’t stop with the marketing for Avatar — the studio has a huge investment to recoup, after all — and because the thing will have to be a hit with just about everyone to break even, Fox is selling the movie to just about everyone. We’ve had the movie geek marketing (Avatar Day) and the guy marketing (this World Series TV spot) and now there’s some kid-specific material that has run on Nickelodeon to snare the young’uns.

I’d love to see some focus group results to see whether or not kids respond to stuff like this. Does the rich, friendly voiceover promising a land of easy action and adventure really work on kids these days? My impression is that kids are pretty perceptive and that they’re a lot more likely to respond to the same materials adults are, at least when it comes to a movie like this.

It’s probably more a question of standards and practices. I know that the Cartoon Network is very strict when it comes to promotional materials (I’ve been told by people in-house there that no guns could be shown in ads for The Clone Wars, for example) and I’d bet that Nickelodeon is no different. So while kids will probably respond to the same trailers adults will, a network geared for kids is going to require stuff that’s nice and friendly.

Hence this ad, which sells a movie that is slightly different than the movies sold by the main trailer and the guy-friendly World Series spot. (And this will just add ammunition to the arguments made by people making Ferngully and Thundercats jokes at Avatar’s expense.) Can’t wait to see how Avatar is marketed on channels like Oxygen and Lifetime. If anyone spots more audience-specific marketing for this movie, definitely let us know. Or just cut your own spots.

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20th Century Fox, 3D, Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi, TV Spots, ,

  • MarkoP
    That was so corny it could have passed off as fan made recut trailer parody.
  • Isn't Avatar still unrated at this point? Obviously, it will end up being PG-13. But it's still a bit weird to see a film marketed like this when it could potentially be rated R.
  • Muffin7
    It'll be pg-13. No way the studios will let this one be R. They were willing to give Cameron all the creative freedom he wanted, not to mention the half-billion (my guess is more, especially if you include marketing and whatnot) budget... There's no way that the studios would allow a HUGE chunk of the potential audience be totally cut off from seeing the movie because of the rating restriction.
    Maybe the Blu-Ray release will be more adult, but the studio needs to clean up with this theatrical release or else they're gonna be boned in a big way.

    All I can say is that the above trailer was so ridiculously "Disney" and pandering that it has almost made me want to boycott the opening weekend in hopes of seeing the studios freak out-- Although i do want to see it in 3D on the big screen-- Maybe weekend 2 or 3... I'll see it, but this trailer ticked me off a bit.
  • Kids are going to eat that up!
  • How much Id kill see Rambo sold to kids.
  • Anonymous
    "In a world where..."
  • Rockie
    now that was silly

    this coming from a guy who's there on day one
  • super_aj
    As a kid, I would have been all over this. "But mom! It said it was the 'greatest adventure of all time', we gotta go!!!"
  • shadow
    Actually, I like the tone they hit with this. I'm convinced that even if it turns out idiotic, it will be fun.
  • Tetsuo_Man
    ^This. The kiddy pool trailer was WAY more effective then the previous ones... it actually got the "this movie will rape your eyeballs" point across a whole lot better. I mean, the story is so shallow that they shouldn't even bother trying to make it serious. Just advertise the movie for what it is and showcase as much CG awesomeness as possible to convince me this movie's budget is even partially justifiable.
  • kfizz
    The only thing that really bugged me was the music score.
  • sauce_1
    Word. Very generic. Sounds too much like Disney in fact. I swear I've heard it before. Anyone know where that music is from?
  • The beginning tune is from the Star Trek trailer.
  • Dan P.
    Ok, "generic kidz adventure music" notwithstanding, a lot of the footage in that clip was astounding. Even the CGI snob in me can't help but be excited for this

    p.s.- If I saw this spot as a kid I would shit my pants
  • solarguardian
    Hahah yeah! I'm sending it to my brother just to see his reaction. He already thought it looked cool. But i don't think 5th graders, or younger, could really sit through a 3 hour movie. i tried it with Return of the King(when i was 12)...didn't work out so well for me.
  • Whatever it takes...
  • Even though I will be there first in line, I can't help thinking that this will be a financial disaster.
  • DVD
    2 and a half hours and most likely will be rated PG-13 = Kids not going to go see it = This commercial is pointless!
  • Wiimo
    Kids will want to go see it and their parents will take them. That's at least two tickets sold (plus more if Dad/siblings go) and they only had to convince the kid.
  • DVD
    AGAIN: 2 and a half hours and most likely will be rated PG-13 = Kids not going to go see it = This commercial is pointless!!!
  • Wiimo
    Okay? Your argument makes no sense, but think you're right, I guess. I've seen kids go see long films and leave early/sit through the whole thing. Either way they're still making money.
  • Tetsuo_Man
    Did you honestly think this through? Parents only care about not showing their kids R-rated stuff (PG-13 is the new PG- case in point, Harry Potter) and all my "casual movie-going" family members don't even think to check the time length of a movie. I went to go see Speed Racer (which was 2 hours+) and there were a ton of kids in there. They will STILL go see this film as long as there is a burger king kids meal toy tied in.
  • I know, when have kids sat through a two and a half hour movie? And come on, it's PG-13, no parent would take their kid to see that! Just act the millions of little boys who went to see Transformers 2! They know!
  • Pretty terrible point. Not to mention bad math. Try this:
    Harry Potters + Transformers + LotR + Dark Knight = PG-13 = 2+ hours = tons of kids seeing them
  • Y'know, so was Pirates of the Caribbean 3.
    Yet they advertised that on the Kids' Choice Awards.

    ...Just putting things into perspective.
  • ryz
    I didn't want to care about people calling it pocahontas in space but come on the music just made me think it :(
  • cactus
    Avatar marketing smells like desperation.
  • concretelogic
    This fits the environment and character design much better than the more serious trailers. The somewhat goofy blue cat-people, floating mountains, and achingly bright animal life look much more at home in this family-friendly fantasy tone.
  • Octoberist
    I wish Avatar featured a Na'vi that sounded like Jerry Lewis. Hey LADY!
  • samboni
    id be so angry if i were James Cameron
  • ianshirley
    This is PERFECT marketing. I don't think it is underselling or undermining anything and it will get children excited. I just showed this trailer to my little sister (who is 7 and has only seen the poster at the theater) and she literally stood here with her jawed dropped and started demanding we go see it now. I of course had to crush her dreams and tell her it's 5 weeks away. But still, she was VERY EXCITED!
  • Michael B.
    Exactly! Titanic made 600 million in the US because teenage girls saw it so many times they knew it line for line when it came out on VHS. Now the studio knows the only way they will make their money is if young to teenage boys go see this 2, 3 or even more times.
  • David'
    I don’t like it at all, but we have to remember the demographic they’re aiming for – kids. I decided to show this to my little brother (9 y.o.) and he said it looked “kind of cool”. I think with a few more ads like this they’ll be able to sell it to kids.

    Also, http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dS9o2xQUbsU/SvZHBKLbz...
  • PalmliX
    wow the power of editing
  • starscream9289
    I saw this last night on Cartoon Network after the Ed, Edd n Eddy movie and I couldn't help but laugh at how they made it look like some kind of fairy-tale.
  • "Can’t wait to see how Avatar is marketed on channels like Oxygen and Lifetime."
    Wow, Russ! That's a /tv/-original phrase! Didn't know you lurked! Well, that, or you heard it from Quigley.
  • Muffin7
    Quigley is a disgrace to this movie blog.
  • freemachine
    McDonalds Happy-Meal Avatar bobble-heads...wouldn't be surprised.
  • Cryptologic
    Considering there is already a coke zero tie-in, you're probably right. Look for lots of product placement throughout the movie.
  • "Where 'wonder' lives and adventure rules..." ?? What the f*ck does that even mean? Yeah, without-a-doubt this is geared toward the kidlets. They gotta target someone. Notice it doesn't boast 'Fom the director of TITANIC and TERMINATOR 2'
  • Solid
    They didn't need to add disney music to it. I saw terminator 2 when I was 11 years old and it was the best movie ever because it was a mature movie I was watching for once. Kids like that stuff. Not too mature though like with boobs and violence of course...
  • Bob
    Sherlock Holmes and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel comes only a week after Avatar's release. It doesn't stand a chance against those two. It will be a flop.
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