Generating a Buzz: Mike Monello on the Evolution of Transmedia Storytelling

Generating a Buzz

How one of the minds behind the 鈥�90s viral sensation The Blair Witch Project continues to evolve transmedia storytelling.

Summer 2021听触听By Nicole Dudenhoefer 鈥�17

From franchises such as HBO鈥檚听True Blood and Game of听Thrones to Hulu鈥檚 The Handmaid鈥檚听Tale, chances are Mike Monello 鈥�92听has played a role in promoting 鈥� or听rather, expanding the experience of 鈥斕齩ne of your favorite TV shows.

As the founder and creative听director of transmedia marketing听firm Campfire, Monello has created听dozens of innovative campaigns over听the years. But the film grad鈥檚 interest听in marketing was actually driven by听the success of one of his first movies,听The Blair Witch Project.

In the mid-鈥�90s, Monello worked听with five other 香港六合彩开奖结果 film alums 鈥斕�Robin Cowie 鈥�93, Gregg Hale 鈥�95,听Dan Myrick 鈥�93, Eduardo S谩nchez听鈥�94 and Ben Rock 鈥�95 鈥� to help create听the movie. By launching a website听with a backstory for the film, many听thought the movie was a documentary听rather than part of the promotion,听causing Blair Witch to go viral before听doing so was really a thing. Building on听that buzz, the team was able to drum听up a strong fan base before the horror听flick even had a final cut.

And while Blair Witch remains听the fifth highest-earning independent听film of all time, having grossed around听$250 million worldwide, Monello听says Hollywood wasn鈥檛 ready to invest听in projects that spent money online.听However, marketing firms across the听nation recognized the success and听wanted to replicate it. So many听reached out for other projects听that eventually Monello and Hale听co-founded Campfire in 2005.

鈥淢arketers weren鈥檛 looking for听a business model, they just wanted听attention, and we were getting听budgets to basically tell stories听online,鈥� says Monello, who accessed听the internet for the first time at听UCF. 鈥淭hat was so much fun and听fascinating because it felt 鈥� and still听feels 鈥� like basically every time we听did something it was the first time.鈥�

While no two projects are alike,听Monello has learned some basic principles that help get people鈥檚听attention.

Blur the Lines Between Fact听and Fiction

Just like with Blair Witch, Monello鈥檚听work often leaves people wondering听if what they鈥檙e experiencing is听actually reality. This includes a听fictional pirate radio station for听Amazon鈥檚 The Man in the High Castle,听which takes place in an alternate听post-WWII universe where the Axis听powers won. 鈥淚n 2017, we created a听pirate radio station that broadcast听from a neutral zone in the middle of听the states and included original music听and characters talking about the听resistance,鈥� Monello says. 鈥淚t really听resonated at the time because a lot听of people felt America was taking a听wrong turn, and some even thought听it was a real, modern-day station.鈥�

Let Viewers Participate

Monello says there is a recurring听theme that has proven to be听successful for every project 鈥斕齮he importance of leveraging听participatory storytelling. Across听multiple seasons of Game of Thrones,听Campfire created opportunities for听fans to be a part of the story. 鈥淔or听the show鈥檚 first season, we created听a campaign around the senses,听including pop-up food trucks in New听York with a Game of Thrones-themed听menu,鈥� he says. 鈥淔or the DVD release听of season two, we created a site where听fans could take a communal pledge of听service to the Night鈥檚 Watch.鈥�

Consider All Types of Fandom

Campfire鈥檚 work centers on thinking听about their audience in three听segments: skimmers, people who听pay attention to something only听when it appears in their day-today听life; dippers, those who enjoy听some aspects of something, but听their fandom is dependent on听social rewards; and divers, hardcore听fans whose interest is deep and听self-motivated. 鈥淲hen we first听launched True Blood with HBO, we听incorporated aspects of gameplay,听a fake documentary, websites, and听print and billboard ads to create a听campaign that was multifaceted and听appealed to people with various levels听of attention,鈥� he says.

Expand Storytelling听Opportunities

As binge-watching and streaming at听home have become more popular,听Monello says series creators and听producers are realizing they need听to create content that keeps the听fans engaged between releases, such听as his work for the new children鈥檚听series Ghostwriter on Apple TV+.听鈥淒uring the pandemic, we filmed a听socially distant bonus vlog with one听of the characters to teach children听about storytelling and worked with听five state library systems to develop听programming,鈥� he says.

Prioritize Physical Experiences

As we鈥檙e coming out of the pandemic听and people are looking to get out听more, Monello says he sees the return听of physical marketing experiences,听such as the one Campfire worked on听for Amazon鈥檚 Hunters. 鈥�Hunters has听this 鈥�70s grindhouse movie vibe and听takes place in New York,鈥� Monello听says. 鈥淔or six days, we took over two听blocks in Los Angeles, with actors in听clothes, music and cars from the time,听and altered 16 stores, a bowling alley听and movie theater to look like they听were from 鈥�70s New York. It was a听new way for people to explore a block听they were familiar with and a fun way听to experience the vibe of the show.鈥�

Have Your Own Sandbox

While Monello鈥檚 career has heavily听revolved around other creators鈥櫶齭tories, he鈥檚 recently been working听with a team to create his own听narrative with the horror podcast听Video Palace. After a successful first听season, he鈥檚 worked with several听authors to publish Video Palace: In听Search of the Eyeless Man, a collection听of short stories that expands on the听podcast. 鈥淲e had been world building听for so many stories we didn鈥檛 develop听and wanted to take what we learned to听create our own myths and stories that听linger with people longer,鈥� he says.