AOL Instant Messenger Stars In Horror Movie

**CookieS** · August 31st, 2005, 08:05 PM

Found this little bit of news from New York Daily News . Kind of funny. This would mark AIM's second feature film, after Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan's "You've Got Mail."

AIM has starring role in teen horror movie

BY PHYLLIS FURMAN
DAILY NEWS BUSINESS WRITER

AOL is aiming for teens by hooking up its AIM instant messenger service with upcoming teen horror flick "Cry Wolf."

Forget about Jon Bon Jovi, the star of this cyber thriller set to hit theaters on Sept. 16.

The real headliner for "Cry Wolf" is AIM, which plays an integral role in the film's plot, AOL execs told the Daily News.

The movie tells the story of a group of kids on a prep school campus who spread rumors online about a serial killer called The Wolf. It turns out that there is a real-life murderer by the same name.

"They use AIM to communicate with each other," AIM senior marketing manager Christine Loredo told The News.

Loredo said the film's producers approached AIM early on in the process because they felt the AIM service was needed to tell the story.

"Any kid under the age of 21 uses AIM to communicate and socialize," she said.

One half of all Americans between the ages of 13 and 25 use AIM, according to comScore Media Metrix.

Unlike standard product placement deals, AIM is not paying the studio for exposure in the film.

AOL has developed an online marketing campaign to promote the flick, including a mobile instant messaging trivia game, a director's blog on AIM.com, and a multi-player desktop game called "Cry Wolf the Game."

AIM, is "a key element of our marketing campaign," said David Brooks, president of marketing for the film's studio Focus Features, a division of NBC Universal.

Building up the AIM brand is part of a massive effort by AOL to transform itself into a free Web site that lures advertisers. AIM sells ads on its welcome screen and on its buddy lists.

Its kind of an interesting concept...software in film. Everytime you seen computers on television they're usually involved in some high-tech technology with unique software that is exclusive to an organization.

**Sephiroth** · August 31st, 2005, 08:25 PM

yeah i saw the commerical for the movie, they seem to capture how people act fairly well with the one person going LOL after hearing about murders...

The whole premise of the movie with the whole IM angle seems a bit corny though.