Thunderbirds are go – London launch rockets to success

Theatrical releases are fragile, highly perishable things, and success or failure could not be more public. You have only one shot at getting people talking about your film, anticipating it and needing to see it. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

For the launch of Thunderbirds, ZenithOptimedia worked with UIP, Working Title and Universal Pictures to execute a spectacular stunt, building a 55-foot replica of the Thunderbird 3 rocket to go with an interactive television, online, outdoor and print campaign.

The rocket was showcased in Trafalgar Square for three days ahead of the movie’s nationwide theatrical release on 23 July.

This was part of a campaign strategy to create huge excitement among kids at the start of the summer holidays by bringing the iconic Thunderbirds craft to life through creative communication, making it the must-see kids’ summer movie.

With massive above-the-line support, we were able to exploit this strategy in numerous ways.

An interactive television campaign allowed people who press the red button to explore each of the individual craft. This concept was replicated online through the website, where there was enough detail to satisfy the most avid fan.

In print, innovative creative appeared to show Thunderbird 3 breaking out from a page ad onto opposing editorial. An enormous outdoor campaign featured a number of highly creative executions including, for the first time, fully wrapped London buses – a colourful and fun way to have the craft gliding through London.

The idea behind the Thunderbird 3 rocket was to turn the Thunderbirds release into a real event. We wanted to create something that would generate genuine talkability among the wider public. The West End premiere started the momentum a week ahead of release, and the Trafalgar Square event maintained it by amplifying the broader communication and making national headlines on the day of release.

Standing 54 feet 9 inches tall, the structure was built overnight on location by events partner Ten Alps. It received a huge amount of publicity in national newspapers, radio and television on and after the day of construction.

The value of this exposure easily surpassed the cost of the project itself, not to mention the talkability it created among the moviegoing public.

The Thunderbird 3 was an attempt to support the launch of a new movie with pioneering and creative ideas which capture the imagination and reflect each film’s particular spirit and originality – ideas which actually create a pre-experience of the movie.

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