20th Century Fox interactive campaign pits Alien vs. Predator vs. You.

Spoiler: You lose.

This spring, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is betting that a little bit of disembowelment will go a long way in promoting the DVD release of Alien vs. Predator: Requiem. In a unique interactive web experience produced by branded entertainment studio Fuel Industries, web users are invited to go toe-to-talon with Alien and Predator, and the result is not for the faint of heart (www.avpvu.com).

Wanting to present a piece of online entertainment that was true to the AvP franchise’s style and fans, Fox chose to develop an 18+ virtual trailer that would not only capture the grisly nature of the movies, but would also allow fans to share the shocking experience with friends.

“It’s easy to go the extra mile in promoting properties that we’re into ourselves – we just have to start with the question ‘what would make me want to send this to someone?’” said Warren Tomlin, Chief Creative Officer for Fuel Industries. “For me, I want to be able to put Mike (Burns, CEO)’s face on it and have Predator rip his guts out. Now that, I would send around.”

In what may be one of the most graphic web experiences to date, users are invited to upload a picture of themselves or a friend. Once done, the player takes the role of a SWAT team member investigating a mysterious abandoned warehouse where something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.

Players choose a weapon, and are immediately thrust into the warehouse. Unfortunately, Alien and Predator are not very forgiving, and the player’s avatar, complete with its personalized face, is soon pinned to the wall at the mercy of the creatures. The player is forced to watch helplessly as the creatures dismember, disembowel and decapitate him.
“It’s kind of like Elf Yourself, if you were able to decapitate, eviscerate and brutally murder the elves in the most horrible way possible,” said Tomlin.

If that’s not enough, the player is then invited to forward it along and subject their family and friends to the same personalized experience.

“Alien vs. Predator devotees know what they want: a healthy dose of fun and an even heartier helping of bloody action,” said John Cosley, Director of Digital Marketing for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. “Creating an interactive experience that puts them into the middle of the epic battle—in a way that remains true to the series’ trademarks—is our way of saying ‘thanks for being a fan’.”

Fuel Industries, the digital agency that produced the experience, called in a movie prosthetics expert in order to create the carnage in a shockingly realistic way and make the experience more immersive. Fox is confident that the adrenaline-inducing campaign will delight fans of the series by allowing them to put themselves in the middle of uncensored and delightfully gory action.

About Fox Home Entertainment

A recognized global industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC (TCFHE) is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray Disc (BD) as well as acquisitions and original productions. The company also releases all products around the globe for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets — from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce - throughout the world. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC is a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company.

About Fuel Industries

Fuel Industries is a multiple award-winning interactive studio that lives at the intersection of marketing and entertainment. With over 100 employees and presence in Canada, the US, and the UK, Fuel has built audiences by creating entertaining online experiences both for major international brands and its own licensed entertainment properties. Fuel’s diverse holdings include interests in game development, video production, sound design, social media, and mobile marketing. Passionate about redefining the interactive agency and inventing the future of online content, Fuel’s clients and joint venture partners include Microsoft, McDonald’s Europe, Wrigley and 20th Century Fox.