DEADPOOL HIJACKS GOVERNMENT BROADCASTER

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TitleDEADPOOL HIJACKS GOVERNMENT BROADCASTER
BrandTWENTIETH CENTURY FOX
Product / ServiceDEADPOOL 2
CategoryD01. Use of Brand or Product Integration into a Programme or Platform
EntrantMEDIACOM NEW ZEALAND Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Idea Creation MEDIACOM NEW ZEALAND Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Idea Creation 2 TVNZ Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Media Placement MEDIACOM NEW ZEALAND Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Production TVNZ Auckland, NEW ZEALAND

Credits

Name Company Position
Julia Evans Mediacom Business Director
Devon Roberts Mediacom Media Planner
Lauren Cannon Mediacom Media Buyer
Juliana Joe Mediacom Media Buyer
Jess Gibbens TVNZ Business Manager
Lauren Potter TVNZ Content Strategist
Tara Weaver TVNZ Project Executive

The Campaign

Blockbuster film releases tend to follow a formulaic launch programme. Film trailers, international assets, PR and limited scope to localise communications based on global studio restrictions. However, we had never faced a more competitive launch environment. To find an idea that would stand out we investigated what it was that Deadpool 1 fans loved most about Deadpool. This uncovered a powerful insight. Although our Millennial audience are young and free spirited, they are also financially locked into the grind of day-to-day jobs. Deadpool offers them an escape with his fearless irreverence. Although a Superhero he pushes back against the status quo challenging the establishment. In the words of Deadpool “Fuck your rules”. So, we investigated local media assets that represent ‘the establishment’ and looked for ways that we could disrupt the status quo. The natural target was TVNZ (the government owned national broadcaster) and their station assets.

Creative Execution

We successfully engineered a complex media partnership with multiple stakeholders. TVNZ, Twentieth Century Fox, and the Broadcasting Standards Authority to create a suite of 30 individual localised assets. Twentieth Century Fox produced a range of assets in Los Angeles for use across multiple TVNZ programmes and platforms. This included the recording of a 30” Deadpool BSA, Deadpool AO and PGR programme rating announcements, and Deadpool hijacking the TV1 and TV2 station branding promos that run across both of TVNZ’s channels.

The release of Deadpool 2 was our most competitive launch. The decision to deviate from the blockbuster launch formula was a brave one, however this one-of-kind, industry leading integration with the national broadcaster was unexpected - delivering cut through and smashing box office expectations. The opening weekend grossed a whopping $2.217 million, 10.5% more than our target of $2.007M. Deadpool 2’s release shot to the top of the box office, breaking the record for the biggest opening weekend in New Zealand ever for an R-rated film, un-challenged since 2016. New Zealand broke the mould and although a sequels success is more difficult than the original, Deadpool 2’s total box office was only 0.16% less than Deadpool 1. Comparatively Australia was -16.6%, the US -12.6% and the UK -13.8%. Evidence that the brave move was the right one. In the words of Deadpool “Oh yea, I’m touching myself tonight”.

This is a media driven campaign in partnership with a media owner. The solution is a highly integrated one of a kind campaign that had no creative agency involvement. It represents strong media thinking and is an industry leading example of brand integration within broadcast television. In New Zealand TV is a well-established traditional media channel that is difficult to innovate within.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Our strategy was to rattle the status quo, and in a ground-breaking media partnership we brought the irreverence of Deadpool to the most serious of station assets. •Broadcasting Standards announcement inviting viewers to complain to the Broadcasting Authority if they feel standards have been breached. •Programme censorship ratings before each show that warn viewers of offensive and inappropriate content. The irony of using Deadpool (the most fowl mouthed super hero in the history of super hero’s) to hijack TV assets warning viewers about inappropriate content and language! TV2 has the highest audience delivery against Millennials. The station assets run across the full schedule delivering scale and impact beyond placement of the trailer. This was a bold idea that required approval from Twentieth Century Fox head office along with the support and time of Ryan Reynolds to create localised assets for a very small market at the bottom of the world.