3)How has the film been marketed to ensure it successfully reaches it's target audience?

POSTERS:

• This poster was released in February 2008; very early so that it could gain audience interest. It works to generate hype and secure audience appeal to the film.



• The skin, colours and stars suggest a fantasy/sci-fi genre.



• Lightstorm and 20th Century Fox logos are on the bottom as credits.



• 'From the director of Titanic' also creates interest as most people know Cameron for that film.



• The website is included which will give fans more info on the film and eventually lead to word of mouth.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:

http://www.avatarmovie.com/ is the official website for Avatar. 20th Century Fox are able to harness the internet, along with other websites to create a viral campaign for Avatar.

The first page is filled with positive reviews which automatically makes the film look inviting.

The main page has a 'Pandora' theme with a running colour scheme and lots of interactive features. The trailer automatically begins so you are forced to engage with the film.

You can enter the official site, www.avatarmovie.com/air/, download the interactive trailer and purchase tickets.

PUBLICITY:

Below the line promotion such as reviews, news stories, features etc. have been extremely useful for the film. Those who hadn't seen adverts on TV or online are able to see info about Avatar in their favourite newspapers. The Times and The Metro, for example ran features on Avatar after the premier.

Publicists for Avatar have compiled press kits for journalists, containing cast and crew lists, biographies, notable facts about the production and a synopsis. This above the line promotion includes TV, web and Internet banner ads.

YOUTUBE:

http://www.youtube.com/user/officialavatar enables fans to watch trailers, teasers, feaurettesm, comment on the film and subscribe to the film. Fans from around the world can be a part of the action, as there are even many trailers in foreign languages, to appeal to a wide audience.

FACEBOOK + TWITTER:

http://twitter.com/officialAVATAR

http://www.facebook.com/officialavatar

20th Century Fox worked used Twitter and Facebook as platforms to promote Avatar. The two companies work in synergy with Fox as they both gain coverage, but this is also a technological convergence which means that Fox will be able to cast a wider net and reach more people. The younger generation who have iPhones, Blackberry's and use the internet daily will access these sites and be more likely to go to the cinema to watch the film in 3D if they see other people

SPONSORS:

COKE: http://avtr.com/

>>This website treats viewers like they are part of the 'Avatar World'. This interactive and engaging programme has many features, giving extensive information on the world of Pandora as if it is not a film, but real life.
>>You can watch commericals, view photos, join the Twitter and Facebook sites and register your details. Like the Eventful page for Paranormal Activity, this makes fans feel as if they are in control when really, Fox are getting details on who likes the film to narrowcast in the future.

LG: http://www.lgexpo.com/

>>The aesthetics of the website link to the film itself, with a 'two worlds' theme. Half the page has the Avatar side, while the other half advertised the LG phone.

>>This isn't as interactive as the Coke site and doesn't do much for the film, it merely advertises both products, again working in synergy.

MCDONALD'S (USA):

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=697134834147&ref=mf

U.S. customers who buy a Big Mac will get packaging with one of 8 different Avatar "Thrill Cards" attached. When these cards are held up to a Web cam, participants can use McD Vision augmented reality software to interact with the lush jungle landscapes generated for the movie.

A related interactive game, PandoraQuest, lets global players find hidden objects in three Pandoran landscapes, winning a membership in the "RDA Research Team" featured in the movie for locating all the items. U.S. players who scavenge successfully will get more than just the honor of joining the team: They'll also unlock bonus features in the form of scenes from the movie.

JAMES CAMERON"S AVATAR: THE GAME

On the official game website, http://avatargame.us.ubi.com/, you must enter details, which again gives Fox info on their target audience. The game is a prime example of cross media convergence as Fox and Ubisoft have created a game that can run on different platforms; iPhone, Playstation3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii + DS, PSP and PCs. This means that even those who may not have the newest Xbox or PS can still play the game on their PCs.

Players have the option to play in 3D, but glasses are not given. The easiest way of obtaining glasses is at the cinema, which fans will most likely have done anyway.

BOOKS:

Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora, a 224-page book in the form of a field guide to the film's fictional setting of the planet of Pandora, was released by Harper Entertainment on November 24, 2009. It is presented as a compilation of data collected by the humans about Pandora and the life on it. HarperFestival also released Wilhelm's 48-page James Cameron's Avatar: The Reusable Scrapbook for children.The Art of Avatar: James Cameron's Epic Adventure was released on November 30, 2009 by Abrams Books. The book features detailed production artwork from the film, including production sketches, illustrations by Lisa Fitzpatrick, and film stills. Producer John Landau wrote the foreword, Cameron wrote the epilogue, and director Peter Jackson wrote the preface.

JAMES CAMERON:

Avatar has been promoted as Cameron's greatest project. The game title features his name and the trailers focus on his previous films as well. This means that fans of Cameron's other films will want to watch Avatar, even if they are not sci-fi or action fans.