Deadpool Ad Campaign
Aims and Objectives
Target Audience
The target audience for this film I think would be between the ages of 15-25, this is because the posters clearly have some very adult films. Hinting at violence with pictures of guns and swords, it also hints at the film's other adult content with shots of Deadpool's crotch and the Strapline "Bad Ass. Smart Ass. Great Ass." This is supported by the trailers which would mostly have to be shown post-watershed due to their graphic content and inappropriate language.
I think this audience would fit in to the BC1C2 social grades. This is due to the variety of formats it was released in. These included its original 2D format, Digital 3D, IMAX and 4DX in the UK - the latter two of which have extremely high production costs. And so the target audience would need to be in these social grades in order to afford to see those formats. However, people in the C2 category are still likely to spend money on seeing the film in it's regular format or in Digital 3D.
The ASA state that a printed product cannot be misleading - "Marketing communications must not materially mislead or be likely to do so." This is a problem that Deadpool's marketing team could have possibly encountered when creating their Romance themed posters, however the ASA does also state "It will rule on the basis of the likely effect on consumers, not the marketer's intentions."And this is most likely how the marketing team were able to get away with this form of advertising.
Marketing campaigns take advantage of print-based advertisements because of it's varied format. This means they can often use the same advertisement across a variety of media and still reach a wider audience. For example, the same advertisement used in an issue of The Metro Newspaper might also appear in Empire magazine. As shown left, Deadpool was featured on the front of Empire magazine (as well as various other film and pop culture magazines). The blood splatters on this cover obviously give connotations of violence and the magazine even advertises Deadpool as "The new sweary smart-ass superhero", which has connotations of the humour within the film and clearly states the use of strong language.
One of the main posters used throughout this campaign (shown at the top of the page) is a simplistic, slightly promiscuous image of the protagonist holding a gun against his crotch. As there is a lack of text on the poster there is no real use of leading, but heavy kerning is used for the film's slogan 'Wait 'til you get a load of me' so that it is easily readable. The main image and text is all justified to the centre so that the viewers eye is drawn to it immediately. Compared to other posters used in the campaign this uses a lot more black and lacks in white space. Black has connotations of death and mystery, and this is perhaps why it was used in this specific poster. The gun is very central and also has connotations of violence, so again it is clear that this film is targeted at adults.
I think this audience would fit in to the BC1C2 social grades. This is due to the variety of formats it was released in. These included its original 2D format, Digital 3D, IMAX and 4DX in the UK - the latter two of which have extremely high production costs. And so the target audience would need to be in these social grades in order to afford to see those formats. However, people in the C2 category are still likely to spend money on seeing the film in it's regular format or in Digital 3D.
Representation
The common house style used throughout this campaign is the colour red. Whilst this is mostly due to the fact that the titular character's suit is red but it also has connotations of the violence and sex included in this film. Another key element to all of these advertisements is their comedic element to of course denote that this film is also a comedy. This even goes to the extent of including Deadpool's Hello Kitty bag as a piece of iconography within some of the films advertisements (left).
Though the film is not a romance it was released on Valentine's day which was incorporated in to some of the film's advertising such as the billboard below and this TV spot. This is another way to garner interest around the film because it goes against what the audience would expect to see in an advertisement for the film.
Campaign Message
The message in this advertising campaign is that Deadpool is a comedy/superhero film. This comedy is illustrated in various different ways, some of the print-based advertisements have a more sarcastic adult tone - such as the "Wait 'til you get a load of me" poster (above) ; others have a more child-friendly approach such as the "Justice has a new face" (above). Throughout this campaign, however, the violent themes within the film are illustrated in various ways. The colour red is used in almost all forms of advertising and most of the advertising features guns or other weapons.
Relevant Legal Issues
Copyright is the legal right given to the creator of an original piece of work. Copyright and fair usage laws then limit other peoples usage of that work. In the case of Deadpool, it's advertising is mostly owned by 20th Century Fox thought the character itself is owned by MARVEL Comics (which is in turn owned by Walt Disney Entertainment), because of this the two companies have to work in synergy to produce the film.The ASA state that a printed product cannot be misleading - "Marketing communications must not materially mislead or be likely to do so." This is a problem that Deadpool's marketing team could have possibly encountered when creating their Romance themed posters, however the ASA does also state "It will rule on the basis of the likely effect on consumers, not the marketer's intentions."And this is most likely how the marketing team were able to get away with this form of advertising.
Regulatory bodies
The Advertising Standards Authority are a regulatory body for all forms of advertising within the UK. Their job is to ensure that the public are do not find any kind of advertising harmful or offensive in any way. Because of this, it is the ASA who decide what is appropriate for pre-watershed and what may not be suitable for children. As well as this, the ASA also ensue that all forms of advertising are honest and reliable as previously mentioned.
The ASA were first created in 1961 by the Committee of Advertising Practises (CAP) as a way of enforcing the British Code of Advertising Practise. This code is a set of rules that all advertisers must adhere to in order to be available to the public.
Method
Print-Based Advertisements
Marketing campaigns take advantage of print-based advertisements because of it's varied format. This means they can often use the same advertisement across a variety of media and still reach a wider audience. For example, the same advertisement used in an issue of The Metro Newspaper might also appear in Empire magazine. As shown left, Deadpool was featured on the front of Empire magazine (as well as various other film and pop culture magazines). The blood splatters on this cover obviously give connotations of violence and the magazine even advertises Deadpool as "The new sweary smart-ass superhero", which has connotations of the humour within the film and clearly states the use of strong language.One of the main posters used throughout this campaign (shown at the top of the page) is a simplistic, slightly promiscuous image of the protagonist holding a gun against his crotch. As there is a lack of text on the poster there is no real use of leading, but heavy kerning is used for the film's slogan 'Wait 'til you get a load of me' so that it is easily readable. The main image and text is all justified to the centre so that the viewers eye is drawn to it immediately. Compared to other posters used in the campaign this uses a lot more black and lacks in white space. Black has connotations of death and mystery, and this is perhaps why it was used in this specific poster. The gun is very central and also has connotations of violence, so again it is clear that this film is targeted at adults.
Audio-Visual Advertisements
The trailer is made in a similar vein to the print-based advertisements in that it again uses the adult humour and violence to appeal to it's target audience. Red also features a lot in the trailer, including the film's logo and titles - again this is due the colour's connotations of danger and violence as well as linking to the iconography that is Deadpool's red suit.
M1
The second green band trailer for Deadpool begins with a very relaxed, comedic scene of the protagonist moving around in a taxi before the tone and pace of the trailer changes to fit that of a more typical action movie. In all of the film's audio-visual advertisements the titular character uses the Fourth-Wall breaks he is known for to further promote the film. For example, at the end of this trailer Deadpool advises the audience to "Check out the red band trailer", this is done not only for comedic effect but also to show that this film is targeted to an older audience. The trailer attracts its audience through its fast pace, special effects and comedic overtones.
Audio-Visual Advertisements
The trailer is made in a similar vein to the print-based advertisements in that it again uses the adult humour and violence to appeal to it's target audience. Red also features a lot in the trailer, including the film's logo and titles - again this is due the colour's connotations of danger and violence as well as linking to the iconography that is Deadpool's red suit.
M1
The second green band trailer for Deadpool begins with a very relaxed, comedic scene of the protagonist moving around in a taxi before the tone and pace of the trailer changes to fit that of a more typical action movie. In all of the film's audio-visual advertisements the titular character uses the Fourth-Wall breaks he is known for to further promote the film. For example, at the end of this trailer Deadpool advises the audience to "Check out the red band trailer", this is done not only for comedic effect but also to show that this film is targeted to an older audience. The trailer attracts its audience through its fast pace, special effects and comedic overtones.
