Page 26 - AdNews Mar-Apr 2021

Investigation
Reinventing experiential
Dubbed a “diabolical” year for experiential marketing by some, 2020 saw the industry reimagine how it forged connections with audiences. From Zoom fatigue to making emerging technologies mainstream, AdNews dives into how the industry has been reworked in 2021.
With the annual Sculpture by the Sea taking a hiatus due to COVID- 19, Amazon Prime Video seized an opportunity to fill the void its post- ponement left at the iconic Sydney beach. The 45 Borat lookalikes did yoga along the beach as an in-character press confer-
ence was held with Cohen streaming in virtually. A
six-metre statue of Borat was delivered by helicopter to
Bondi to celebrate the movie sequel, and the beach was
rebranded for 24 hours as “Borat Beach”. Other Borat
lookalikes turned up around Sydney at radio stations and outside Sunrise’s headquarters in Martin Place.
Hushidar Kharas, head of Prime Video Australia, tells AdNews the move was to bring some cheer to Sydneysiders amid what had been a tough 2020 for all, and also drive awareness of the new film on the platform.
“We wanted the Borat activation to put a smile on people’s faces and carry the comedy themes of the film,” says Kharas. “Of course, our busi- ness objective was to drive awareness and excitement for the new film and its home on Amazon Prime Video; a goal we feel we achieved.”
The activation was a huge success, garnering widespread coverage across broadcast, news, online and social outlets. But Kharas says it also played an important role in spotlighting Australia.
“The activation also acted as a benchmark for what we can do here in Australia, and images and footage from the day featured in interna- tional news outlets in Europe and the USA,” he says. “The film exceeded our acquisition and viewership goals for the campaign and was the most
viewed title in Australia on Amazon Prime Video during 2020.”
Activations and experiences are noth- ing new in the film and television industry. Disney, Universal Studios and Village Roadshow are among the entertainment conglomerates who, for decades, have been using theme parks and resorts to drive deeper engagement with their films beyond their launch. This includes Village Roadshow-owned Gold Coast theme park Warner Bros. Movie World, which opened its doors in 1991 and is home to rides inspired by its iconic programs including Scooby Doo, Yogi Bear and Justice League.
Outside of the world of theme parks, media and entertainment companies such as Amazon Prime Video have fol- lowed suit with their own activations and pop-ups to engage viewers.
In 2019, Foxtel celebrated the launch of the final season of popular television series Game of Thrones with a special activation created by DDB Sydney. “Grave of Thrones” invited fans to say goodbye to every character who had been murdered during the years.
More recently, and catering for the times amid the global COVID-19 pan- demic, Netflix teamed up with immer- sive cinema company Secret Cinema in the US for its first cinema screening. Hosting a drive-in event in a car park in downtown Los Angeles to ensure social distancing was maintained, the experi- ence allowed 26 cars to drive around different locations to watch scenes from
F
orty-five men in fluorescent mankinis descending upon Bondi Beach
is a sure way to capture attention and make a statement. To celebrate the launch of Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat Subsequent Moviefilm on its platform, Amazon Prime Video did just that.
WORDS BY
PAIGE MURPHY