Case Studies

Background

Disney’s “High School Musical” phenomenon leapt onto the big screen in “High School Musical 3: Senior Year.”  With incredible new music and exciting dance numbers designed to take maximum advantage of the big screen, this motion picture extravaganza delivered plenty of high-energy entertainment from a talented high school ensemble.

The Barclay Advantage

Walt Disney Studios’ popular Disney Channel was preparing to debut the third installment of the favorite musical series on the big screen in October 2008.  Barclay was tasked with creating events that would reach beyond the already built-in audience from the Disney Channel and attract both the media and fans attention.  We accomplished this by planning three interactive promotions with a local radio station and various retailers. Kicking off the promotions, fans played high school musical chairs during the station’s four-hour morning show to win tickets to the film premiere in Los Angeles. In addition to the tickets, winners traveled to the premier in Los Angeles on a bus that became a traveling pep rally. The pep rally was hosted by the station’s popular morning team.

To maintain media and fan interest about the film, a high school “prom” was held at Outlets at an area mall in line with the film’s senior year theme. The event was promoted on-air, on-line and throughout the mall.  Attendees’ prom attire was judged by the radio station jocks and the grand prize was a flyaway to attend the premiere in LA. In addition, a grassroots campaign to collect prom dresses throughout the community was also implemented to garner additional exposure and the dresses were ultimately donated to A Cinderella Affair, a Phoenix charity.

Rounding out the promotional push for the film were giveaways to the advanced screening in Phoenix. Listeners were encouraged to show their spirit and bring their pom-poms, posters and t-shirts for the ultimate pep rally held at the theatre screening. One fan won VIP seating at the screening and the first 150 people to show up at the pep rally received tickets to the screening.

Results

Barclay’s efforts from this multi-faceted promotion garnered more than $450,000 in media exposure securing a strong first place industry for the film.