New Antonio Banderas film is first to be promoted through 'mash up'

by Jennifer Whitehead, Brand Republic 24-Mar-06, 15:00

LONDON - The new Antonio Banderas film 'Take the Lead' is being promoted through a new method, where the film is "re-mixed" by a VJ and shown online and in clubs.

US movie studio New Line Cinema, working with DMC to plan and execute the campaign, charged London-based VJ team Addictive TV with remixing the film's trailer.

The result is a video that uses lines and sounds from the film set to a dance beat. It can be viewed here.

Two more versions are set to be made, one by UK outfit Eclectic Method, and another by DJ Second Nature from Atlanta, Georgia.

The viral has garnered positive coverage in blogs, including a piece on Livejournal saying: "Instead of going the traditional route for pushing the new Antonio Banderas vehicle 'Take the Lead', the Hollywood execs decided to be cool."

Justin Kirby, managing director of DMC, said: "What's cute here is that New Line have been very innovative and are taking viral marketing in a new direction.

"Not only have they embraced the user-generated media culture of audio/video mash-ups, they've also created a remixed trailer, which works as a great dance track that's getting circulated round the web from sites like YouTube.com and also getting shown in the real world at clubs in Europe and the US."

Illegal remixes, or "mash-ups", have been huge in music, but now video jockeys are getting in on the act. Last year, the US production company PS260 did a mash-up of Stanley Kubrick's classic 'The Shining'. However, the 'Take the Lead' mash-up is thought to be the first time it has been used as an official film promotion.

'Take the Lead' is inspired by a true story of a dance teacher, played by Banderas, who volunteers to teach students at an inner-city high school in New York.

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