The geeks shall inherit the earth.....

We're really pleased to be recovering from our most successful weekend at MCM London Comicon to date .  We were on site for two clients, as well as assisting MCM with artiste liaison for panels and signings. 

With over 130,000 consumers attending over the three days, MCM London Comicon is the largest event celebrating popular culture in Europe - and it happens twice a year.  Put in context that now equates to approximately twice the consumer footfall of the San Diego Comicon over the two events.  It's a huge, vibrant and good natured event and much underestimated in terms of ways to connect to the UK and Europe's blooming pop culture marketplace. 

For October 2015's event we were representing two clients we love working with; Fox TV and RealD in association with Vue Cinemas.

Something that was really a theme of the weekend and our thinking behind the activations was 'keeping it simple'.  The sheer volume of traffic means that we're looking to turnover the largest number of consumer engagements over a set period of time and amplify these engagements through social media and neither activation disappointed on that front.

RealD / Vue Cinemas

Our RealD and Vue Cinemas space brought 3D to the masses.  Working with 3Dify we were responsible for immortalising over 250 cosplayer's costumes through the medium of 3D bodyscanning.  The resulting images were then hosted in an online gallery for social sharing, which can be viewed at www.reald.com/comiccon. The mechanic really brought the concept of 3D to life for the consumers and gave them a digital takeaway, which generated significant social interaction.  Our relationship with the MCM team also allowed us to link up with talent on site for additional traction including RJ Mitte who played  Walt Jr. in Breaking Bad.

The results are still coming in however all indications are that it has been a very successful campaign.

Fox TV

Working closely with the MCM Sales team we delivered the creative and operation of The Fox TV (UK) stand.  It was more of a challenge in terms of structure and content with the client asking us to look at four strands of their programming:  The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, Outcast (TX Date 2016), and their animated strand featuring Adult Swim.

The two headline acts were The Walking Dead and American Horror Story. The Walking Dead stand's zombie photo opportunity proved to be one of the highlights of the entire show and attracted not only the public but the cast of the Channel 4 show Humans, who were keen to get involved and share their experience on social media.

On the flipside of the stand was the opportunity to 'Check In' to the American Horror Story Hotel with our own 'Creepy Concierge'.

For Outcast we created a small themed and controlled access screening area for footage.   It had constant footfall and this played a massive part in driving consumers to the panel for the show on the Saturday afternoon, which had a full house.

Tips for getting the best out of the show

- Premiums whether digital or physical are really sought after

- Do something interactive - with the right creative it doesn't need to be complex or expensive

- Keep the offering simple to maximise footfall turnover

- Provide incentives to drive social sharing on dedicated #tags

- Wear sensible shoes, you do some serious mileage

Final Thoughts

The cost of floorspace for the three days whilst, on the face of it might seem a little daunting but, to put it in a financial context, it's equivalent to just one day at a high footfall shopping centre. That's three days for the price of one. What it then delivers is better, more constant and more tuned in footfall:  The audience embrace social media. They want to be seen as early adopters; the most informed and knowledgeable within their peer group and therefore they are receptive.  

It's not for everyone, but the market is a lot bigger than most people realise, think of it in terms of Glastonbury Festival or Reading Festival in terms of capacity and you're in the right ballpark. Pop culture properties and brands should be on site to take the opportunity to reward existing fans and to engage new audiences.

If you want to know more get in contact - we 'll be pleased to help.