When 20th Century Fox came to Channel 4 with a brand challenge for the launch of Paper Towns, they needed something that would cut through to this audience, have personal relevance and work within their tight media budget. Finding a way of taking a difficult, gloomy story and making it feel relevant, fresh and attractive for an audience (especially an audience which is jaded towards advertising!) meant that we had our work cut out for us!
Product Placement with Paper Towns
The Big Idea
We placed footage of 20th Century Fox’s latest film release Paper Towns, starring British actress and supermodel Cara Delevingne, in E4’s hit reality show Made in Chelsea LA. The unorthodox story in Paper Towns may not have been enough to capture teens attention on its own, so we worked with Monkey Kingdom, producers of Made In Chelsea (MIC) and Fox to blend the film seamlessly into the programme. MIC proved the perfect platform from which to promote the film, being the highest watched show for Paper Towns' target audience. We identified the perfect real life situation in MIC that paralleled that of the film’s plot and used it as the ideal opportunity to spark conversations.
This latest partnership with Fox represents an exciting first for showcasing film footage within one of our shows and is an innovative alternative to placing tangible products within a TV show. - Helen Davis, Senior Marketing Manager, Twentieth Century Fox
Making it Happen
With 58% of teens ignoring brands in advertising, we knew that Paper Towns had to really feel like a part of the show. We worked with the show’s producers to identify the right moment in the series that was compatible with the film’s story – one of fleeting young love. We found it in the love story developing between Jamie and Naz, two of the show’s characters.
Jamie wanted the ultimate date to woo Naz. Fox hosted a private screening of Paper Towns on their lot in LA as a date for the pair - which would ultimately make up part of the show, creating a moment in the story where Paper Towns was the focus. Jamie & Naz naturally chatted about the film as on any other date, making the integration of the content seamless. During the show, and in the break following the all-important scene, a first-in-break trailer spot encouraged viewers to tweet in their reactions to the show and trailer. We harnessed the power of All4 to extend and enhance the campaign. The trailer played out as a pre-roll and Paper Towns dominated All 4’s display inventory to ensure heightened awareness among teen viewers; while reaction and endorsement of the show was subsequently promoted on social – extending the organic reach of
the activity.
The Results
Against all the odds, this slightly unusual film – helped by a media first use of content placement – became the biggest film in the UK on its opening weekend. That meant beating Inside Out, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and The Man from Uncle. By comparison, we outstripped performance in the US, where it ended its opening weekend in 6th place. The movie went on to smash its £5m UK box office target. “Made In Chelsea is a pivotal part of the weekly viewing habits for the film’s target audience. So, the fact that we were able to match Paper Towns into the plot of the show was truly remarkable.”
