She's heeeeeere!

For those of you who’ve been living under a rock Coraline hits theaters today nationwide. Directed by Henry Selick of Nightmare before Christmas fame and based on a book by Neil Gaiman, it’s the first feature film from Portland animation studio Laika. The film, made right here in Oregon, is the result of tens of thousands of hours of painstaking attention to detail and stop action animation craftsmanship at it’s finest. Which is to say it's a mind-blower.

And for the past several months we’ve had the pleasure of helping to insure the film gets the audience it deserves. So go see it. In 3-D if you can. The technology has come a long way since Jaws 3.

Working on the film has been an incredibly gratifying processes. When we first visited the set and saw hundreds of crew members pouring over dozens of sets we realized how much the process of making the film was part of the story. Every single thing you see on screen was made by hand, so we let that guide the work we created to promote the film.

To give you a sense of the chronology and scope of the campaign check this video.

To build some early buzz among communities we thought would respond to the film, our studio hand built these boxes using the actual assets from the film. A lot of work but much appreciated by the bloggers and influencers who found them in their mailbox.

Wild Postings
 
 
 
Limited edition Coraline Nike Dunks. Nice.

OOH

Interactive Storefronts

We produced a handful of short videos and stop motion banner ads. Here's a few. Watch them all here. 

And we made a kick ass website.

And that's just scratching the surface. So it's no surprise we have a rather lengthy credit list. Here's hoping we didn't forget anyone.

Executive Creative Director: Susan Hoffman, Mark Fitzloff
Creative Director: Susan Hoffman, Mark Fitzloff
President W+K Entertainment: Bill Davenport
Art Director: W+K Five
Copywriter: W+K Five
Designer: Erin Sorenson, Matthew Carroll, Paul Levy, Amy Corcoran, Karen Koch, Katie McGinley, Ademar Matinian, Alice Baldwin, Julia Dickey, Sarah Hollowood, Angie Maurer, Mike Weihs, Loren Boggs, Will Holmes
Studio Artist: Erin Sorenson, Matthew Carroll, Paul Levy, Amy Corcoran, Karen Koch, Katie McGinley, Ademar Matinian, Alice Baldwin, Julia Dickey, Sarah Hollowood, Angie Maurer, Mike Weihs, Loren Boggs, Mark Lundgren, Christin Spagnoli, Joe Limauro
Studio Manager: Maya Roberts
Project Manager: Brian Mork
Print Producer: Kay Zerr, Denise Hanggi, Deborah Hyde
Art Buyer: Mia Chong-Hanssen, Krystle Mortimore, Natalie Flemming
Photo: David Emmite, Chris Hornbecker, Mark Lundgren, Aaron Lee, Kyle Pero
Illustrator: Gian Galang, Paul Levy
Color: Kyle Pero, Pete Lindman, Frazer Goodbody
Proofreader: Brie Spicer, Rachel Miller, Liz Upchurch
Account Management: Ken Smith, Kate Hansen, Kirk Iverson
Strategic Planner: Matt Kelley  
Interactive Strategist: James Keller
Business Affairs: Teresa Lutz
Producer: Jennifer Fiske, Monica Ranes
Editor: Justin Lowe, Tommy Harden, Katie Turinski, Kyle Valenta, Peter Wiedensmith, David Jahns
Dunks Art Director: Gian Galang
Dunks Copywriter: Rob Heppler
Nike Dunk Designer: Gian Galang, Rob Heppler
Interactive Storefront AD: W+K Five, Mike Weihs
Media: Lawrence Teherani-Ami, Chaucer Barnes, Allison Spagle, Alex Dobson
Digital Director: Sean O’Brien
Interactive AD: W+K Five
Interactive Copywriter: W+K Five, Jimmy Carson
Interactive Designer: Kiem Vu, Eric Hallmann
Executive Interactive Producer: Marcelino Alvarez, Kris Hanson
Interactive Producer: Jeremy Lind, Amy Wanninger
Interactive Studio Artist: Mark Lundgren
Interactive Photographer: Mark Lundgren
Interactive Entertainment Coordinator: Gaia Borgias Brown
Interactive Flash Developer: Destin Young (ourvice), Luis Santi Jr.
Senior Developer: Trent Johnson
Motion Director: Shawn Myers
Interactive Trafficking: Jonnie James
Website Sound Design: Gigeng Productions, Inc
Web Trailer Editor: Tommy Harden
Sound Design and Mix: Charlie Keating
Assistant Editor: Jessica Baclesse
Confirm and Color: Kyle Valenta
Titles: Anouck Iyer, Matthew Carroll
Post Producer: Patty Brebner, Terra Cloyes
Production Company (Stop-Motion & Various Stills): LAIKA, Inc.
Director: Henry Selick
Producer: Claire Jennings, Bill Mechanic, Mary Sandell
Animator: Brad Schiff, Suzanne Twining
Lighting Cameraman: John Ashlee
Data Wrangler: Jacqueline White
Public Relations: Joani Wardwell, Lauren Glazer

Comments

[John]

How about posting that Kubrick-esque Coraline trailer?

[jeremy spake]

thanks so much for all of the hard work you guys put into promoting coraline. it has been a pleasure for many of us who worked on the film to watch as the campaign(s) evolved. you didn't just take images from the film and slap them on a poster, you took what was cool about coraline, and amplified it in smart and unique ways. i can't overstate how grateful we are! thank you!

[Amy Singer]

I have never had so much fun waiting for a movie to arrive. You guys kick ass, and have redefined marketing in a way that will make it hard for other companies to live up to.

I am the fortunate recipient of box #8. Still stunned that the box that opens the movie is now IN MY HOUSE. Thank you.

Signed,
Amy
[former Ad Agency drone, gratefully repurposed as online knitting magazine editor]

[Andy]

I too am a fortunate recipient of a Coraline Box [#23] and yes, you have made a grown man shed manly tears of manly joy. And to finally able to know who are the gifters and originators of the boxes - my sincere thanks to everyone involved! (and thanks for choosing meeeeee LOL)

Too bad Coraline premieres in Singapore only in April (*sob*) - have a fab one W+K! And well done!

Cheers
Andy
[wiping away manly-tears & sniffles]

[G-Roc]

I hope I win a pair of the Coraline Dunks. Rob you did a great job on desiging the Dunks sir. Hats off from G-Roc. I just got back from checking out the movie. Moral of the story, be thankful of what you have now in life. The grass isn't always greener on the other side.

[Juancho]

georgeous. congratulations for everyone who worked in this.

juan from madrid

[Ryan Moede]

Absolutely stunning - fantastic work!

[Josh Chambers]

That's awesome. The store window mirror is wicked.

[magpie]

the campaign was truly worthy of the payoff. the first poster and the website were among the earliest posts on my blog and as new posters appeared i continued to post them. loves them a& the website.

What a treat.

magpie
www.magpiesbeads.blogspot.com

[Bruce Wright]

I too loved the film and am amazed and awed at what an intelligent, artistically literate and challenging campaign you folks created. You are absolutely collaborators who are pushing the process beyond commerce into part of the wider cultural tapestry that extends the Coraline experience into something broader than just a movie.

Much appreciated.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then visit my link. I made Coraline Box number 51 (of 50). And while the letter inside is addressed to Henry, its contents are meant for your entire team as well.

http://web.mac.com/bruce_wright/iWeb/Bruce%20Writes/Coraline%20Box%20Number%2051.html

[TM Oliveira]

Neil Gaiman must be really happy. Henry Selick made a classic and the campaign fully respected the nature of the movie. Great work.

[Mark Walton]

Absolutely the best ad campaign I've ever seen for a film - an absolute first-rate job on the websitea and the "making of" videos, and every element of the promotion perfectly in synch with the tone and the primary targeted audience of the film. Nicely done!

[Jamie]

Kudos for an excellent job on the Coraline campaign! It was in great part your work that intrigued me and drew me in to this spectacle. This multi-tentacled monster (to mean: multi-faceted portfolio) gripped me right from the beginning and did not let go. Good luck on your future endeavors!

[Scott Schroeder]

Great job guys. I had a blast crawling around the web hoping to find more and more of your campaign. Best movie/marketing campaign ever. I hope that Laika will have a special feature about it on the DVD release. (I'd love to know even more about it.) Your campaign was as good as the movie, great job capturing the tone and staying true to the movie and not taking the easy way out.

[aramis]

I loved this movie so much, i wish i could find a door like that in my living room ;}...not really. :O

wow I was looking at those boxes around the web, but I've seen about 10 are missing. I really want one myself so i asked some one who got one, how did they get a hold of it. they said you guys where giving them to luck bloggers, she also said to try submiting my blog to you to see if i could get one. so heres the link to my blog. I know its a little recent, but I hope you like it. :}

http://aromis.blogspot.com/

[aramis]

Although im a new blogger. so i dont really kow if people can even read or post comments on my blog. but i hope you can still see and read it.

[Miguel Angel s2]

This kind of estrategies, make feel the product. I want to see the movie now. Amazing!

[Lubomir]

Brilliant!

[Patrick]

I love the movie and the add campain that helped promote the film. Now that All the boxes have been delieverd, would you mind posting the rest of the boxes that were sent to blogers? It would be great to see them all!
thanks

[Acai berry]

All the videos are amazing.I think kids will definitely enjoy watching all these videos.

[Cellulean]

I love the videos, they are really nice and my smaller sister and brother will enjoy them.

Cellulean|Stop Sweating

[Stop Sweating]

That's really awesome, thumbs up!

[Maria Brown]

videos trailors are very nice ... kids are going to like it a lot and the ideas used in videos are worth watching ... great going.

[Trash Bag Holder]

This one seems really interesting and I still need to get around to seeing it. I remember it being advertised on On Demand like a hundred different times so the concept is literally beaten into my head. All that's left to do now is see it.

[Ab Circle Pro]

Great blog thread and comments.