HBO's True Blood: Marketing With Bite

Maybe I was a little too hard on HBO's production of the True Blood series in my last post. They may not be filming on location in Louisiana much, but there are a ton of other things they are doing better than anyone else.


From Book to TV Series: As books are made into movies or TV series, much is lost in the translation. This is not the case with True Blood. The writers have successfully packaged the main plot from the books and have added story lines that fit seamlessly. Characters like Sam, Lafayette, Jason and Tara are pivotal in the series but made very short or only sporadic appearances in the books. True Blood has definitely made these characters much more interesting than they were in print and added others who are entertaining additions to the core of Sookie, Bill and Eric. HBO has successfully taken the Charlain Harris series and improved upon it while still keeping true to the original story lines.

Keeping fans engaged: As I have said many times before, fans want to be immersed into the world of their favorite movies and TV shows. They want to be active participants, and HBO is definitely inviting us into the fictional world of Sookie and her beloved Bon Temps. Usage of social media sites like Twitter and a blog for "Baby Vamp" Jessica Hamby is keeping fans interested in engaged between episodes. Users of Twitter can subscribe to accounts for Eric Northman, Sookie, Pam, Lafayette, Tara and Jessica and interact with the characters concerning the episodes. Responses from Eric and company are written in character of course, making it more entertaining. (now that's a job I would love!) You can also view behind the scenes interviews and extras each week online at HBO.com

Merchandising: Another area HBO has done well in is merchandising. From Soundtracks to t-shirts, shot glasses to True Blood Drinks, True Blood fans can feel like they own a little piece of the fantasy world Charlaine Harris created. I personally giggle to myself when I wear my white Merlotte's Bar and Grill T-shirt (like the waitresses wear in the show) in public. It's so subtle that people's reactions are really funny. Granted, she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but a girl who knew the HBO series asked me if it was a real place and if I actually worked there. I gave her a big smile, twitched my pony tail and told her I had just gotten of work. Later on, an entire row of concert goers yelled to me "Nice Shirt!" and toasted their beers to me as I made my way to my seat.

Perhaps I am biased because I am a fan, but it's obvious that HBO is backing the amazing writers of True Blood with well-planned marketing and merchandising. Sounds like a killer combination to me.

Emerging Trends? Movie Anniversary Celebrations & Visiting Filming Locations

I have always been a fan of visiting movie locations. Now that my generation is old enough to indulge their film fantasies, I have noticed anniversary celebrations popping up to relive the glory of a nostalgic film in it's purest form: where it was filmed.

These events bring in much needed revenue for the areas and should be capitalized on. Being a proponent of location shoots instead of green screens, I think it would be wise for the film industry to focus on filming (whenever possible) in actual locales. Not only will the locations benefit from the exposure, but merchandising opportunities and sales would thrive. Fans want to immerse themselves into their favorite films and TV shows and they are willing to spend some green for the experience.

The Twilight Saga is a perfect example of how successful this can be, whether it was the studio's intent or not. Even thought the no filming too place in Forks, WA, among other real life settings in the books, is overrun with Twilight fans spending money on mushroom ravioli and in souvenir shops. Can you imagine how much more authentic the experience if they had actually filmed in Forks?

The True Blood HBO series, based on the novels of Charlene Harris, has missed the mark since most of their principle filming is on sets in California instead of in real Louisiana towns like Shreveport. Spending the extra on location shoots would pay off, especially with a show as popular as True Blood. Helping the struggling Louisiana economy after Katrina and the recent oil spill would be a good investment for future filming.

Most recently, the 25th anniversary of "The Goonies" was held in Astoria, Oregon June 4th- 6th. Tours of the movie locations around town were given and even some of the actors participated in the festivities. All hotel rooms were booked and all of the tour bus excursions were as well. Not bad for a 25 year old movie about misfit kids on a treasure hunt, huh? This article features a run-down of the movie locations and the Washington Post has an article and a slide show of the weekend's excitement. Being a Goonie myself, I have visited Haystack Rock on the coast, which is featured in the beginning sequence of the movie. Unfortunately I have not yet visited Astoria and wished I could have made it to the anniversary celebration last weekend.

In 2007, the 20th Anniversary of "The Lost Boys" was commemorated with a showing of the movie on the beach in Santa Cruz. With members of the cast the scene was set at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Amusement Park where a large portion of the movie was filmed. Having visited the boardwalk, it is still mostly the same as it was in the movie and true fans will love visiting for the authenticity of the atmosphere. This summer, the boardwalk will show the film again on June 30th with special guest Corey Feldman.



Want to find your movie Meccas? IMDB has filming locations listed on the left menu on each movie main page and I recently stumbled upon a great site for anyone who wants to incorporate visiting filming locations from their favorite movies called Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations