FilmStruck, Turner’s SVOD service for movie aficionados, asked Twitter users to chime in on the four films that define them, and the Twitterverse responded…big time.
The campaign raised the curtain on Tuesday (April 17) with this tweet, asking for people to list out those films and tag four other friends to do the same:
[embed]https://twitter.com/FilmStruck/status/986228505884098560[/embed]
The campaign, which used the #FilmStruck4 hashtag, went viral. At last check, it generated more than 300 million impressions, north of 80,000 tweets, and 40,000-plus contributors, according to FilmStruck. That activity also helped to catapult FilmStruck as the top trending topic on the social network.
In addition to FilmStruck subs and film fans, a sizable group of Hollywood heavies also got into the act (more on that later).
The campaign, which asks film lovers to name four films that define them and tag friends to do the same, has FilmStruck everywhere on Twitter.
According to Pola Changnon, SVP of marketing, brand creative and talent for FilmStruck, the genesis of the idea, came from a FilmStruck podcast with Rian Johnson, director of Star Wars:The Last Jedi, who discussed how he engages with the service and a methodical approach he takes when deciding what movie to view on a given night.
“People are engaging with our service in a more intentional way than I think they might with another streaming service, where you plop down and scroll through [choices],” Changnon said.
FilmStruck then teamed up with partner Criterion on how to challenge film lovers about how
they engage with film ahead of next week’s TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, and the “define yourself” theme came through.
“It was a great basis for starting the conversation,” Changnon said. “We want to own this larger conversation about the importance of film."
The conversation got going and helped to drive a primary driver, spreading the word about FilmStruck, an SVOD service that was launched in the U.S. in November 2016.
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“We want to build awareness for this baby brand…[and] create some noise that is brand appropriate, but feels completely in synch with who we are and who we want to be,” Changnon explained. “In a landscape of big, established behemoth streaming services, how do you cut through? That was ultimately what we were looking for.”
RELATED: SVOD Shakeout: The Survival of the Fittest (subscription required)
In addition to awareness, FilmStruck is also looking to drive more people to the service. FilmStruck hasn’t released subscriber numbers, but Changnon said that the campaign has delivered a spike in people searching for FilmStruck and installing the app.
FilmStruck offers a two-week free trial, so time will tell what the conversation rate is. “But our expectation is that they are quality prospects…people who are going to hang around.”
In addition to getting consumers and fans of films to chime in with their choices, the campaign also drew participation from several big names from Hollywood and entertainment. Here’s a sampling:
[embed]https://twitter.com/rianjohnson/status/986259569511821312[/embed][embed]https://twitter.com/JuddApatow/status/986464863554715649[/embed][embed]https://twitter.com/RealRonHoward/status/986481429876916224[/embed][embed]https://twitter.com/chancetherapper/status/987010802938007552[/embed][embed]https://twitter.com/nlyonne/status/986458880443117568[/embed][embed]https://twitter.com/RealGDT/status/986457935663558664[/embed]
[embed]https://twitter.com/RealGDT/status/986458553853587456[/embed][embed]https://twitter.com/RobLowe/status/986697303057612800[/embed][embed]https://twitter.com/JonahHill/status/986335039481958402[/embed][embed]https://twitter.com/jes_chastain/status/986829457372602369[/embed]
