The Hobbit: The Desolation of the Smaug - Tracking of Marketing - Week 4

Example 1:

I found this post from a page on facebook that posts photos of unusual landscapes. This is below the line marketing as it has been shared by members of the public. This reaches an audience who are interested in photography and captured landscapes who  would generally be 15- 24 year olds.

Example 2:

At Enfield cineworldcinema there are displays of the Hobbit. This is above the line marketing as it has been financed by the distributors. This is eye catching and it reaches people who go to the cinema. This would generally be 15-24 year olds who are the biggest cinema demographic.

Upstairs covers the whole wall

There were two of these next to eachother outside the girls toilets

Example 3:

This is above the line marketing but is cheaper as it is on an online platform. This reaches an audience who are computer literate. This platform has connectivity as when clicked on, it directs the audience straight to purchase tickets. This may be suitable for over 18s as they will have their own credit cards.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of the Smaug - Tracking of Marketing - Week 3

Example 1:

This is sourced from twitter. This is a below the line promotion for an above the line event. The plane has an image of Smaug. It landing in the UK raises awareness of the film as the passengers and airport workers see this as unusual. People are likely to notice this and pay attention to further platforms of the marketing campaign. This tweet targets audience that regularly use twitter.

#Smaug touches down in the UK! @airnzuk's amazing plane landed in Heathrow this morning. #TheHobbit pic.twitter.com/F5l5KG0gNs
— The Hobbit Movies UK (@HobbitMoviesUK) December 7, 2013

Example 2:

This review is from the telegraph website which is a UK newspaper. This is below the line marketing. From this website, it is possible to understand that this review is the second most viewed article today. Although the review takes a slightly negative tone, the audience may still want to view the film to see if it is as described. This targets right wing 30 to 50 year olds who are interested in reading the telegraph.

Example 3:

I also saw bus adverts for the film however I couldn't take a picture as the rain blurred the phone camera. This is an example of above the line marketing. This bus was at Edmonton Green bus station at around 4 o'clock on thursday. This targets teenagers and school children who take public transport. I wasn't able to notice what the route of the bus was.


Example 4:

This is also sourced from twitter. This is above the line marketing. It is promotion for a Q and A session that encourages the audience to be involved in the campaign. The tweets sent via the hash tags and mentions may trend and attract the attention of other twitter users. This also targets fans of the actors as they can ask questions and hence be involved in the campaign. This takes the form of viral marketing.

We're with @TheRealLukevans ready to kick off our live #AskBard Q&A! Tweet your questions in now pic.twitter.com/svDeyyCkFv
— The Hobbit Movies UK (@HobbitMoviesUK) December 6, 2013

The Hobbit: The Desolation of the Smaug - Tracking of Marketing - Week 2

Example 1:

This is an audience voting opportunity which is below the line marketing. The source is the Empire online magazine. This reaches immersive film fans and it a successful form of marketing because it creates a sense of involvement through the contributable capacity of voting. This can use audience opinion to persuade the readers to go and see the film.

Example 2:

I came across this advert while I was watching a youtube web series. This is an effective above the line method to reach audiences as the first 5 seconds of the advert couldn't have been skipped. After the advert finished, there is a promotion for the film beside the video. This reaches the technology native audience.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of the Smaug - Tracking of Marketing - Week 1

Example 1

Source: In the Foyer of the Wood Green Cineworld. This is above the lie marketing as these adverts are financed by the distributor and placed in the cinema chain to target the mass cinema audience.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - Using the Internet to promote a movie release in the UK

Example 1:

This is a production diary video linked from the verified "The Hobbit" page. The source is the distributor, Warner Brothers Pictures. This is a below the line example of marketing as it can be marketed virally. It is attempting to reach immersive fans of the fantasy adventure genre and the technology-native generation such as the core cinema audience, ages 16-25. It also has a personalised appeal and direct reach to audience by being available through facebook through shortform content.

Example 2:

There was a competition to win tickets to The Hobbit fan event in London. This was displayed on the Empire website which seems to be an above the line platform as it will have required a lot of financing.It attempts to reach fans of the trilogy from worldwide as it states "global fan event". It is a valuable marketing opportunity because it involves the audience and therefore will build a greater interest about the film within them. This would cause them to like the film and go to see it at the cinema.

Example 3:

There is a post on the fan-website, Middle-Earth News that is below the line as it promotes content that was from the distributor. The source is the Warner Brother Pictures YouTube channel. This way, it is valuable to reach the hard-core fans of J.R.R. Tolkein and it reaches a core audience of 20 to 30 years.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of the Smaug - Tracking of Marketing - Before official tracking

Example 1:

This is an article from the BBC. It details the specifics of a New Zealand city, Wellington, being officially renamed as "Middle Earth". This is the city where The Hobbit premiere will take place.

The new name will be reflected on postmarks on letters and the main local newspaper as the city "has been integral in bringing the fantasy world of JRR Tolkien to life on the big screen".

This will cause wide media attention which will result in reporting for the film. It would especially attract attention in New Zealand as it is more relevant to the area.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - Quick Answers

1. It releases in the UK on 13th December 2013.


2. It was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), New Line Cinema and WingNut Films. It was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.


3. The production budget for this film is $200,000,000 which is $20million more than the production budget for the previous film.


4. The film has three nationalities, the countries involved were New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States.


5. This is a high budget studio production.


6. It is connected to the Lord of the Rings trilogy and it is a sequel to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. This film will also be continued with The Hobbit: There and Back Again.


7. It is directed by Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong(2005).


8. Star names of the cast include: Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins; Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey; Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug and the Necromancer , the antagonist.


9. The film is about some dwarves who are on a quest to reclaim their homeland from the antagonist, Smaug. The protagonist Bilbo Baggins possesses a mysterious ring.


10. This film will appeal to the fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and also appeal to a family audience.