Movie Studios Tap iPhone Ads to Push New Releases

Disney Pictures and Universal Studios have launched iPhone-specific ad campaigns to help promote their respective new releases, “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Wolfman,” suggesting brands continue to find value in exploiting the screen size and capabilities the device offers.

Disney’s campaign, created in conjunction with Starcom, features display ads across a range of apps bought through mobile ad networks Millennial Media, Greystripe, and Apple-owned Quattro Wireless. According to a Starcom spokesperson, ads are being targeted contextually across a range of free-to-download applications, and currently feature in popular apps including Paper Toss and Word Warp Where.

Those ads direct users to a dedicated iPhone and iPod experience, which utilizes accelerometer technology and invites the user to “fall down a virtual rabbit hole” – in reference to the movie content – by spinning their handset. Users can also play games, watch the full movie trailer, and send digital greetings cards to friends. The campaign will run until March 6th, following the general release of the movie on the 5th.

Universal’s creative for The Wolfman also drives users to video content in the form of a custom 30-second creative, as well as offering access to show times and a calendar function.

According to AdMob, one of the networks on which the campaign is currently live, a 15-second TV spot for the film that aired during the Super bowl on Sunday helped further drive user interaction with those ads. An AdMob spokesperson described the growing relationship between TV ads and related mobile campaigns as “a big shift we’re seeing across the industry.” Media buying for that campaign was handled by Ignited.

In a statement, David Singh, executive VP of worldwide marketing for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, said the mobile medium offered greater user engagement by offering users “entertaining, interactive activities that are right at their fingertips.”