It's been interesting over the last couple of years to watch as viral Internet marketing has become an increasingly large part of the movie business. We have JJ Abrams and Co. to thank for a lot of that, with small budget horror directors taking the ball and running with it most recently. Such is the case with Branded, a new sci-fi thriller that is taking viral marketing to a whole new level by making the first trailer for the film a wholly interactive experience.
Co-written, produced, and co-directed by marketing execs Jamie Bradshaw and Alexander Doulerain, the duo have embedded the trailer with 97 unique VR codes. Viewers who scan these codes with their smartphone will be taken to the film's site where they'll find more codes, added information, and a deeper look into the dystopian future when the story is set. Branded takes place in a surreal future where corporations have completely taken over society, unleashing their powerful brands as the front for a worldwide conspiracy to keep the populace disillusioned, dependent and passive.
Brit actor Ed Stoppard stars as Mischa, a former advertising rep who uncovers the conspiracy and attempts to put a stop to the alien powers behind it. Max von Sydow, Leelee Sobieski, and Jeffrey Tambor, and Ingeborga Dapkunait co-star. For a film I've never heard of before today, I'm surprised by how good it looks. There seems to be a combination of They Live and The Matrix at play, which could be great if the script is halfway competent. We'll see when Branded opens in theaters on September 7th...
