20th Century Fox plans 'Alvin' film drive

As part of the activity, the film distributor is increasing its investment in digital marketing. A website, created by 20th Century Fox, will promote the film and host downloadable ringtones and clips.

A second website at www.the afactor.co.uk features an 'Alvinizer', which allows users to create 'chipmunked' messages that use the character's squeaky voice.

Elizabeth Kesses, marketing director at 20th Century Fox, said children were exchanging content such as ringtones via Bluetooth in playgrounds, rather than playing traditional games like Top Trumps, leading to digital channels becoming a key marketing platform.

'We saw with the success of the Crazy Frog ringtone the demand for audio and content among a youth audience,' she added.

The company is building on the success of a campaign for The Simpsons Movie, which offered consumers the opportunity to create a Simpsons avatar based on their characteristics.

According to 20th Century Fox, more than 2m people created the avatars and posted them on social networking sites such as Facebook and My Space.

In addition, 20th Century Fox has created tailored TV advertising for Alvin and The Chipmunks targeting specific audiences and schedules. A music-focused trailer will run in ad breaks during ITV's The X Factor, and a sing-a-long execution has been devised for children's channels.

The company has already launched an experiential campaign for the film that re-introduces children to the Chipmunks, and has released teaser trailers on YouTube that tie in with recent sporting events.

Media planning and buying for the campaign has been handled by Vizeum, while Beatwax worked on experiential marketing. Digital activity was overseen by Substance, with creative work handled by 20th Century Fox in-house.

Alvin and The Chipmunks is released in UK cinemas on 21 December.

This article was first published on Marketing