We often see mobile phones featured in mainstream movies (sometimes to the point where they are crucial to the plot of the film) but something new that we’re starting to see is movies featured on mobile phones. Cell phone advertising is rapidly on the rise and large movie studios have realized that they can use the platform of the mobile to market the movies that they want people to go see. In some cases, the phones themselves are used as marketing tools (as is the case when special phones are released in conjunction with the promotion of a movie). In other cases, mobile phone wallpaper and other phone stuff is put out to promote a specific movie. As cell phone advertising grows even bigger – and mobile phones become better equipped to handle movie trailers – we could see the mobile phone becoming a major area of attention for movie marketers.

Promotional Mobile Phone Handsets for the Movies

One of the most popular ways for a movie to be marketed in conjunction with a mobile phone is for there to be a promotional release of a limited edition of a phone linked with the movie. For example, when the film Ironman was released a couple of months back, there was an announcement that Paramount Movie Studios had paired up with LG to create a limited-edition “Iron Man Phone“. The phone was based on the LG Shine but it had been enhanced to include some 18K gold plating and to feature the colors of the Iron Man costume used in the movie. The phone was priced around $2000 so it’s not the most expensive mobile phone out there but it sure ranked high on the “specialty phones” list which got it a lot of attention in the media (and therefore gained attention for the movie from unusal tech media sources). This phone wasn’t available in stores but was offered at promotional launches and included access to certain Iron Man mobile phone content that wasn’t available to people without the phone. This type of handset phone marketing seems to be something that’s of increasing interest to movie studios seeking to offer innovative promotional products to potential customers.

Marketing through Personalized Mobile Phone Features

There are many different features that people use on their mobile phones to personalize the phone. Wallpaper and screensavers are popular things that people place on their phones to show anyone who sees the phone what their interests are. Ringtones are another popular thing that people opt to use to tell the world what they’re all about every time that their phone rings. Movie studios are realizing that making such things available to customers can be a great tool for marketing movies. As a result, it’s increasingly common to see mobile phone wallpaper, screensavers and ringtones that are directly related to specific movies.

Marketing Movies through Interactive Phone Content

An increasing part of the use of the mobile phone is the use of interactive content on the phone. People don’t just use their mobile phones to talk; they use their mobile phones to play. It is common for someone to use their mobile phone for gaming or to watch video clips on their mobile phone. Movie studios know that getting people’s attention in this area can make a big difference in encouraging people to see their movies. We’re increasingly seeing mobile phone content that’s related to movies. Mobile phone games that are derived from action movies are common as are video clips and trailers for movies that are specifically targeted at the mobile phone video consumer.

Overall Increase in Global Mobile Phone Advertising

It isn’t just movie studios that have realized that the mobile phone is a terrific platform for advertising. Cell phone advertising is a rapidly growing industry that all different types of businesses are taking advantage of. Advertising on mobile phones includes everything from SMS message advertisements to video clip advertising. As this type of marketing grows, we are likely to see an even bigger increase in the use of mobile phones to market movies.

Technological Advances that Aid Mobile Movie Marketing

One of the biggest barriers to this type of advertising in the past was the fact that mobile phones weren’t previously equipped to handle a lot of data. That’s not the case with the mobile phones that are emerging today. As technology advances, it becomes increasingly possible for the mobile phone to become a platform for marketing. This is particularly true for movies because of the fact that video clips are increasingly easy to view on advanced mobile phones. Traditional movie trailers viewable on mobile devices, mobile-specific video clips and other video content for marketing phones all have the potential to increase mobile phone marketing for movies and other image-based products.

Creative Approaches to Mobile Phone Movie Marketing

Movie studios realize that their marketing approaches for mobile phone consumers need to be as creative as the movies that they are trying to promote. As a result, they are investing a lot of money into finding ways to get creative with their mobile phone marketing. For example, when the movie Dark Knight was released, there was a massive mobile marketing campaign that combined several different aspects of cell phone marketing with real life interaction to encourage interest in the movie. The marketing ploy included an online treasure hunt that took participants around the city in search of clues tied in with the movie. The treasure hunt included finding a Nokia phone hidden inside of a cake; the phone was then used to receive additional clues for the treasure hunt. This type of multi-faceted, interactive advertising is likely to become more common with the growth of cell phone advertising.

The Future of Mobile Movie Marketing

As mobile phone advertising becomes increasingly popular, it is likely that movie studios will continue to lead the way in advancing creative marketing solutions for this platform. After all, it’s their business to be creative in what they do! They’ll have to find ways to continue to keep the attention of a mobile consumer who has a lot of attention-getting options at his fingertips!