Fantastic Fest is a film festival, “with the boring parts cut out,” that takes place in Austin, Texas. The advertising campaign for 2009’s Fantastic Fest features a short film, shown as a commercial, called, ‘Dawn of the Dad.’ The spoof on the popular zombie genre, specifically the cult classic ‘Dawn of the Dead’, features two children discussing the possibility of making a movie for Fantastic Fest (they settle on, “ninjas fighting the undead”). It turns out the children’s parents have been turned into flesh-eating zombies and the nonchalant kids are camped out inside the battle-ready family home. Hungry Man production company in Los Angeles produced the ad which was directed by Alex McCrae.
What's Driving This Trend
- Zombie Genre Reinvention
- This advertising campaign demonstrates the trend of reimagining the zombie genre to create unique and engaging content.
- Youthful Involvement in Film Festivals
- The children's involvement in the creation of this commercial highlights a trend of including younger generations in film festival activities and campaigns.
- Creative Advertising Campaigns
- The use of a short film as a commercial showcases the trend of using creative and unconventional methods in advertising campaigns.
Who This Affects Most
- Film Festivals
- Film festivals can capitalize on the trend of reinventing the zombie genre to attract new and diverse audiences.
- Advertising
- The advertising industry can benefit from the trend of creating immersive and engaging campaigns through innovative storytelling.
- Entertainment Production
- Production companies can explore disruptive innovation opportunities by incorporating younger participants and leveraging unconventional methods in their productions.
