As you probably noticed some of those pictures have a website logo on them. That is Killer3, which redirects to MaximOnline, which is a promotion between Maxim, Transformers and Pontiac. The site is has a contest with grand prize being a trip to Hollywood for premiere of Transformers, meet Megan Fox and get a Pontiac Solstice. 
This year MTV Movie Awards are actually doing the show live and trying to make it more relevant to the current year rather then the previous summer. As a result they have a new "award" category that Transformers have been nominated for. Its also good in helping market the movie and no telling what behind the scenes discussion went on the compile the list. Either way it guarantees the studio's will pay to advertise their movies during the show.
The Pepsi sponsored Transformers contest, called "Transform Your Summer" has launched. The game is pretty straight forward it seems. Buy Pepsi products with the Transformers signage, take the bottle cap with codes and enter them under your site account and winners are drawn each day. Prizes include Xbox 360 gaming package with 48'' HDTV, trips, cash, camcorder, and Pepsi Optimus Prime Transformer.
The "official" unvealing of a building wrapped in Transformers posters was performed Thurday morning. Various reports are online about the event. Here are a few.So I attended this event. in fact, I was first in line.Here is another man on the scene write-up from Rufus Prime (ignore the typos and stuff, its a message board post afterall):
We
were to sign in...giving our phone #s and Email address. Then given green
wristbands.
No pics were allowed inside the sector 7 mobile. They showed
a clip of the battle between humans and Skorponok.
Then we proceeded to
the Power 106 booth where we received our Transformer toys - a protoform. Then a
poster and a red flier thing with the screening info on it.
It said that
they would contact us via email and phone to give us directions and time to the
prescreening.
Im still waiting.
by the way. I was interviewed
and pics were taken of me since I was the first person in line. I lined up
yesterday at 330pm. while no one else showed up till 330am this morning and the
mobile unit arrived around 4am. and set up lasted from 4-710am
That is
all. I took ALOT of pics of the line, the building and the flier and outside the
mobile command before they told us NO PICS.
I was on the boards a few days ago and learned of the promotion that was goingThat pretty much covers all that matters about the event, but if want to know more, ENI also has an article about the event.
down at the Transformers Banner building on Vine. I wondered if it would be
worth it to wake up early and see what this was all about.
I wasn't sure
what the respons would be, would it be packed early in the morning because we
were all able to hear about this through the wonder that is TFW.com?
Or
would no one come thinking that it is a cheep stunt and not really worth the
time. I decided to get there early, figuring I could go home if there was no one
there since I have a friend close by.
When I got there at four though,
there were a few die hard fans waiting for whatever "it" was going to be.
A few hours, a wrist band and writing down some info, and I was ready to
enter the mobile Sector 7 unit. They shuffled us into a trailer that contained a
few Sector 7 agents, many different communication devices, what looked like some
SWAT gear, and large monitors showing the logo for the agency. Two agents began
to let us know that any rumors we had heard about NBE's ( Non-Biological
Entities) were false and that there was nothing more we needed to worry about.
In the middle of the this another agent tuned in on the big screens saying that
they had just recived an urgent transmision from survivers of the base attack
That we were already familier with from the trailer.
The two agents
began to panic and tried to cut off the call, but the agent on the screen
uploaded the data anyway.
------Spoiler Alert---------
And there
it was, soldiers scouting the desserts after thier base had been demolished. As
they were walking Scopinok bursts out of the ground and Impailes one of the
soldiers with his tail, wipes him into the air and drags him underground. The
rest of the Unit run to find cover in a small villige near by. A call is made to
the pentagon for air support and that battle it out with this amazeing creature
until help arrives.
The whole "transmission" was about 7 to 10 minutes
and was... so... freakin'... sweetl
Scorp looked incredible, from the 4
missles he would shoot out of his pincers at once, to his battle mask that would
cover his face when ever return fire got too close to anything vital, to the
acrobatics of jumping around rubble to ruturn fire. Some of the footage was
still unfinished, but a good amount was.
And with that it was all
over... I did not leave empty handed though.
I was part of the first 50
so I recived a voucher to see an up coming screening (which could be anytime
between now and June they said, no one was sure), a small movie poster, and
protoform figure.
All and all it was cool. Really excited to see the
movie, whenever this screening may be, and I hope I wasn't the only one that got
to see the goods today.
If you in the Los Angeles area tomorrow, you can participate in the official event that unveils the building covered in Transformers postering as seen previously. The event goes from 7am to 9am and includes tour of the Sector 7 Mobile Command Unit and chance to get advance screening passes to the movie.
The Sector 7 side of the Transformers Marketing campaign has begun wtih a S7 "Mobile Command Unit" spotted at Cinema De Lux in Los Angeles. People that entered the van where shown a few scenes from the movie and profiles of "NBE"s Barricade and Bumblebee. Much like the website, the players involved in the van treat the Transformers threat as "real" and "warning" the public of the danger.
According to Los Angeles Metroblogging, an old building at Sunset and vine is going to get wrapped in Transformers artwork on all four sides. One side has the Transformers movie logo and the apparently the rumor is the other side will have an eye which will glow rad at night. Interesting method of advertisement.
Yahoo! Movies has launched a new contest called Fanaticon that asks "Think you're the ultimate Transformer Fan? Prove it." Its asks for Transfans to submit videos that show how deep their love is for all things Transformers in whatever way people see fit (but probably limited to legal and rated PG actions).The Ultimate Prizes for the Ultimate FansIn the interests of transparency, I was contacted by a representative of Yahoo to post, they simply asked, I said sure. I figured site readers would be interested. Besides once it did pop up on my radar I would have posted about it anyway, much like I did for the "Make Prime Speak" contest. If anyone does enter, be sure to post about how it goes in the comments section.
Three winners (each with a guest) will get a trip to ILM Studios, the digital masterminds behind TRANSFORMERS, in San Francisco, Calif.
- Watch as they put the finishing touches on TRANSFORMERS.
- Meet the people who will bring Optimus Prime to life…again.
- Prize package for airfare, accommodations and meals.
How to Become a Fanaticon
Maybe you have the entire collection of Transformers action figures in a climate-controlled case. Maybe you quote Optimus Prime in everyday conversation. Or maybe you and your friends like to act out scenes from the Transformers cartoons in suits made of aluminum foil and popsicle sticks.
Whatever it is, film it and then submit your video here starting March 26. Our expert judges will review the videos and pick three true Fanaticons on May 14.
"We really recognize the fact that for most people, 'Transformers' are a toy," Paramount Pictures International executive vp international marketing Jon Anderson acknowledges. "Our job is to change that perception." Indeed, Michael Bay's latest big-budget special effects extravaganza about alien technologies fighting their war on our world will be marketed as an event and spectacle, rather than just a movie about a hugely successful toy line.(source)
Hasbro will nonetheless support the upcoming summer action film with a worldwide promotional blitz and ignite a new product and merchandising frenzy, Anderson assures. "Given its strong presence as a toy, children will be drawn to the film as a matter of course," he says. "They are going to want to see it."
The challenge then becomes how to go about establishing the film for adults, push the teen appeal and, says Anderson, dispel "any preconceived notion that this is a kid's movie."
The transformation started with a new trailer at the end of last year that aimed to alert the marketplace as to just how big the film is going to be. In addition to the enormous scale, the trailer also was designed to hint at the story's human element. "It is more than just machines," Anderson insists. "There are other elements beyond (simply being an) action movie."
But the campaign is not just for moviegoers, and Anderson hopes the early publicity also will make an impact on exhibitors. "(We want) to make sure that the exhibition community understands its full scope as well," he says. "We are lucky enough to have some fantastic footage that we will be taking around the world. The reactions have been sensational so far."
For tentpole films such as May's "Shrek the Third" and July's "Transformers," it makes sense for Anderson and the team at PPI to do a big sell internationally and reap the rewards immediately, rather than wait to see what happens."
Most major territories, including Australia/New Zealand, Germany, Italy, Russia and the Nordic countries open concurrently with "Transformers'" July 4 frame set in North America. As a general rule, "On the big titles, we are moving much closer to the U.S. release dates," Anderson says. "Obviously, piracy is a serious issue these days ... but it's also about the event nature of some of the films. You really want to be out there when the buzz is coming around the world, as it can be a tremendous boost in getting that all-important boxoffice."
With the entire world already covered by mid-August, the global message is clear. "Our marketing push is all about making people understand that this is a big movie," Anderson explains, "a blockbuster to be thought of in the same breath as (Buena Vista's upcoming May actioner 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End') and (Sony's May actioner) 'Spider-Man 3.' It is high-concept, has state-of-the art CGI effects and will provide all the thrills and action that one expects from a big Hollywood summer movie."
PPI's marketing group has developed some unique plans for Japan, where the film's opening has been set for Aug. 4. A special trailer was launched during the peak December season that included a personal message from Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg, as well as detailed the star power of the film's creative team and the immense popularity of the director behind some of the biggest blockbusters of all time.
As to why this tactic would not be imported to other markets, Anderson cites cultural differences. Personal messages have been used effectively in Japan before, he notes. "Japanese audiences are more in tune with seeing the talent behind the camera up there on the screen and talking to them," he says.
About the expense, Anderson feels it is certainly warranted for a country that can be the most important market after North America. Notwithstanding the theme of robots being ever so popular in Japan, PPI also plans to reinforce the film's other thematic elements such as family and teen romance that, while resonating across the globe, elicit particular reactions in Japanese audiences.
Although detailed tracking information was not yet available, anecdotal evidence shows that the special message was extremely well-received, including a trailer exclusive on Yahoo! Japan and a key TV program. Tracking general awareness and expectations is a crucial tool that "is getting more sophisticated for international and something we are taking seriously. Just to see how effective and what impact it has on the people in specific countries, (PPI looks at) research regarding television spots, not just trailers, and other materials we are using."
Indeed, when it comes to "event" films like "Transformers," Anderson insists, "You almost have a global brand. The concept and look of the film do translate very well."
Spoken as a true marketer. However, he adds, "It's only six months before the release, so there's still plenty of time to keep working on this film."
TRANSFORMERS’ MAKE PRIME SPEAK CONTEST has announced the Top-10 winners to the contest, where fans and the online community could submit their chances to have Peter Cullen – the voice of Optimus Prime – speak their line of dialogue in the TRANSFORMERS movie, in theatres 7.4.7.Not exactly a win for creative thinking with 4 out of 10 being lines from either the toyline (#1), used in cartoons (#3) or from the animated movie (#5 and #8). About the only line that stands out in my opinion is #4. The rest are just a little to corny for me.
Carl, from Norristown, PA, will see his number-one winning entry – “Freedom is the right of all sentient beings” – featured in the upcoming TRANSFORMERS movie.
The number one line – as determined by filmmakers from a Top-30 list that contest registrants voted on – will be spoken by Cullen in the film.
Second and third place winners will have their entries recorded by Peter Cullen and made into ringtones.
And winners 4 through 10 will also have their entries recorded by Cullen, and featured on the official site, www.TransformersMovie.com.
A special thanks for all those that submitted entries and voted. The Top-10 Winning entries, in order, are listed below:
1) "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings." – Carl, Norristown, PA
2) "That's how I roll." - David, Phoenix, AZ
3) "Autobots: transform and roll out" - Brandon, Jacksonville, FL
4)"This world should learn from its own mistakes, not ours."
-- Ben, San Francisco, CA
5) “One shall stand... one shall fall.” -- Paul, Elgin, IL
6) “It¹s Prime Time!” -- ¬ Jason, Murrieta, CA
7) “Alpha Trion said there’d be days like this.” ¬ -- Jason, Methuen, MA
8) “Now all we need is a little energon, and a lot of luck.” -- ¬ Kenny, Boston, MA
9) “You¹re on the wrong side of the blaster to champion that, Decepticon.” -- ¬ Afonso, Lisbon, NY
10) “There’s a thin line between being a hero and being a memory.” – Aaron, Austin, TX
