Thursday, 21 August 2008 | Levent OZLER
Behavior Design Puts the Bite in HBO's True Blood Marketing Campaign
Behavior designed and launched the promotional site, www.TruBeverage.com, for the synthetic blood drink called Tru Blood featured in HBO's new series by Alan Ball, True Blood. The site is part of a larger viral marketing campaign designed to create nationwide buzz surrounding the much anticipated HBO series which is set to air on September 7, 2008.
Behavior's creative approach positions Tru Blood as an authentic beverage, providing blood thirsty vampires with a commercially accessible alternative to feeding on humans for nourishment. In the series, the drink acts as an agent which allows 21st century vampires and humans to coexist peacefully. The branded website - complete with cleaver taglines like, "All Flavor No Bite" - is part of an integrated marketing campaign and serves as the interactive destination for HBO's extensive print and commercial advertising of True Blood.
Behavior generated both the strategic and conceptual direction for the promotional site as well as its final site execution. As inspiration, the Tru Blood website takes its cues from alcoholic beverage sites that focus on lifestyle, in this case night lifestyle, and the quick hit, power booster qualities of energy drinks.
Tru Beverage site visitors are greeted with the standard proof-of-age verification, not of one's actual age, but of the date and century upon which they, "were turned", in other words, the date they became a vampire.
Once inside, users can explore the different varieties or flavors of Tru Blood. Type O, AB, A, and B are distinguished by their unique character from "hearty and satisfying" to "refined and delicate." The Type Finder feature takes the concept a step further by matching one's personal preferences with a Tru Blood type that suites their chosen lifestyle and feeding habits.
As with many promotional beverage sites,TruBeverage.com highlights sponsored events to encourage consumer interaction. Embrace the Night '08 is a global call to both vampires and humans to gather for a moonlight pulse-pounding party. The dance-music infused invitation calls upon users to host their own party - on the date of True Blood premiere.
Behavior Design brings to life the Tru Blood beverage brand as a key marketing and promotional campaign filled with mystery and intrigue to promote HBO's exciting new series launch, True Blood.
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