Heath Ledger, who passed away earlier this week, is being honoured by the Warner Brothers entertainment company by tributes on the Dark Knight website.
The sequel to Batman Begins was already set up for success, but Ledger's death will probably further boost traffic into the theaters. It's a marketing opportunity Warner Bros isn't going to pass up. Ledger plays the Joker in the upcoming flick and before his unexpected death, his character played an integral role in viral marketing campaigns being put on for the movie.
It's unsure whether Warner Bros. will continue with the viral ads, or if they will decide against is now that circumstances have changed.
The movie is set to be released July 18, 2008.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Viral Marketing Campaigns
- Warner Bros' viral marketing campaigns for the Dark Knight movie present an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the advertising industry.
- Online Tributes
- Creating online tributes for deceased celebrities, like Warner Bros did for Heath Ledger, can be a disruptive innovation opportunity in the entertainment industry.
- Boosted Movie Traffic
- Taking advantage of increased movie traffic after the death of a popular actor, such as Heath Ledger, can be a potential disruptive innovation for movie studios.
Sectors Adopting This
- Advertising
- The advertising industry can explore disruptive innovation opportunities through the use of viral marketing campaigns like the ones employed by Warner Bros for the Dark Knight movie.
- Entertainment
- The entertainment industry can embrace disruptive innovation by creating online tributes for deceased celebrities to engage with audiences, as exemplified by Warner Bros' gesture for Heath Ledger.
- Film
- Movie studios can leverage the opportunity of increased movie traffic after the death of a popular actor, like Warner Bros did after Heath Ledger's passing, to create disruptive innovations in marketing and promotion strategies.
