13th Gate's New TV Commercial

[drfrightner]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAvHGglB5to



Here is 13th Gates new 2007 Television commercial...what do you think? Larry

[drfrightner]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAvHGglB5to

[Jonathan]

Love the commercial. Simple and Clean yet catches your attention. Only thing I'd like to see more is more info about the event. Have it on screen a second or two longer...but I like it.

[Empressnightshade]

It was a bit too "Movie-ish" for me. I'm not a commercial pro, but I do know what entices me to go to an event and I just didn't get the "Haunted House" feel when I watched it. Or....maybe I'm just jealous...LOL!

[Haunted Illinois]

It was great... actually kinda like a movie trailer.

I do agree with Jonathan, though. There needs to be more information about the event. What city is it in? What state? What dates/hours is it open?

Also, it had a great production value, but does the actual event measure up to the expectations set by the commercial? If it doesn't, that may be a problem. If customers arrive with unrealistic expectations, only to see an event with plain black walls and a few simple scenes, they may feel mislead and/or ripped-off.

Promoting your event is very important, but so is truth in advertising or your customers may not come back.

Just my two cents, from a patron's point of view.

[Speculo]

I thought it was cool!

Ben
NETHERWORLD

[Jim Warfield]

I watched the commercial ..but "Is the little girl O.K.?"
They never followed up on this, does anyone know if she is O.K.?
(If she is O.K. how come the woman screamed and kept screaming?)
I just won't be able to sleep well tonight thinking about this...is she O.K.?
How O.K . is she?

[drfrightner]

I think the commercial has some great production value, very well produced and looks really cool. However I don't think the commerical sells the haunted house, and all of the great things going on at 13th Gate. I also don't like the bit at the end where the girl is dragged by her hair... but I must say all area's are different. What works for one person here may not work for another person there... blah, blah. I think 13th Gate is one of the best haunts in the nation and this commercial doesn't showcase the wonderful work they've done.

For a person who doesn't know much about 13th gate, or do not know if they want to visit this commercial in my opinion doesn't sell you because it doesn't provide any real info about the haunt. Again great commercial, very cool, just don't think it sells 13th Gate and what and who they are. But again every market is different and this approach might be just what the doctor ordered. No one knows their market but the ones who live there...I'm sure Dwayne and crew know exactly what they're doing!!!

I wouldn't do it the same way, but I'm not in their area, so my opinion doesn't matter much. All the same the new area which was built inside 13th Gate was the area where the commercial was shot. It looks breathtaking! Great job!

Larry

[Midnight13]

We usually do a campaign of commercials, starting with a "teaser" that piques interest but has very little info on it. It will run for a week or so, then the second one will start that is our information commercial. In the past we have done a collage of fast moving images of different scenes and actors. I was sort of tired of that and wanted to change it up this year and try something different. I decided that I wanted it filmed in our new lobby and didn't want to show much of the house. The problem with staying in one area is that you have to then tell some kind of story (hence the movie feel) but still stay under :30 seconds. Quite a challenge.

Also the girl dragging at the end may be too much. The station as well as the ad agency seemed to love it but we shall see what the public says.

A haunted house could probably run the same commercial every year (since it is seasonal) and my ad agency tells me that I don't really need to keep making new commercials, but, like my haunt, I always feel the need to change and update everything.

In the end it's all "Trial and Terror"



Also "does the actual event measure up to the expectations set by the commercial?" Absolutely.

[drfrightner]

Dwayne,

Don't get ME wrong... I thought your commerical was TOP NOTCH! But I think your haunted house is also top notch, and this commercial as good as it is just doesn't sell your haunted house. It doesn't show case what you have to offer, or just what people are in store for...unless you're saying to them they should get ready to be killed and dragged away by their hair. LOL

Great commercial...but with a haunt as good as yours I think I would have picked a different style of commercial to rake in the business.

One thing Adam said was something like the room your commercial was filmed almost came across as a set rather than a scene in your haunt and it could be mistaken for a movie set and not your haunt. I think he was saying and maybe I'm wrong but that isn't your haunted house, and the public will expect one thing and get another.

I in fact know that was your new que line... great set, but its not a room in your haunt where guests wander around. It looks awesome but it again doesn't showcase your haunt.

Dude, you've got an AWESOME haunted house, and with so many toys to show off I think you'd be better served with something that shows THIS IS A WORLD CLASS HAUNTED HOUSE!

The commercial barely mentions its a haunted house.

I guess I'm saying is I can see where everyone is coming from.

I'm not being critical because most people couldn't build sets like you, or produce a commercial this awesome! Great job!

Just with a haunt as cool as yours maybe you should showcase the haunt and sell a bit more what you have to offer.

As for the dragging the girl away bit...hmmm. I don't like it! I think it seems cool but not in today's PC world! If it turns off just one person for me its one person to many!

Larry

[Barry]

I think too many of you are over analyzing this. The commercial captures your attention, holds it throughout and mentions the name at the end. Good marketing. I, like Jonathan, think there should be just a little more about the attraction. Maybe a website.

Good stuff,
Barry

[SomeThingInTheIce]

I think it sells more like a movie, I want to see this movie is what came to mind. It is a grabber for sure and with follow up spots that show that it is a haunted house I think it will do nicely. Does anyone know if that was shot at the haunt because it looked to be wicked?

[Lord Barnabus]

I thought is was a great production. However, I tend to agree that there should be more info (like a website that stays at the bottom during the whole thing, or at least part of it). I also had the feeling that I was watching a trailer for a movie, not a haunted house.

But otherwise, it was a great piece.