Paranormal Big Brother

For the launch of a new movie, we devised a world first: a premiere held inside a top-rated reality TV show.

The challenge

In any movie franchise, the third film can be a challenge to sell as audiences can grow tired of characters and plot-lines. The launch of the third part of hit horror series, Paranormal Activity, demanded an unusual and memorable activation. Our task was made more difficult by the fact that the movie had no stars, the plot was a closely guarded secret and there was little PR to boost the campaign.

Our insight

Right place, right time and right context could break through movie convention and deliver real consumer engagement. 

Our solution

Paranormal Activity 3 takes place in a house filled with cameras, so we premiered the film live in Big Brother – the reality TV show set in a house filled with cameras.

To weave the strategy seamlessly into the show, the Big Brother contestants took part in a series of paranormal-themed tasks with the unprecedented prize for contestants to escape the house for an evening during their time in the house.

In the run-up to premiere night, viewers were driven online by co-branded spots to face their own paranormal challenges, and given the chance to join the audience for the premiere. On premiere night itself, the lucky winners walked down a red carpet installed in the house straight into a celebrity-packed VIP party and then out of the house to watch the premiere of Paranormal Activity 3 on a big screen.

Afterwards, audience reactions to the movie were converted into primetime ad content for TV and online consumption. Conventional movie premieres attract between 1,000 and 10,000 people; Paranormal Activity 3’s reached 2.5 million people, probably the largest premiere audience ever.

The results

• No.1 spot on opening weekend, taking $5.5 million
• $16.9 million takings during its entire run
• Premiere watched live by 2.5 million
• PR/commercial value over $3.2 million (against $162,000 investment)