Ripley’s Most Successful Retail Endeavor Ever
This is part of the “Freaking Out Families” ad campaign I created for the Ripley brand in 2007/08. It was so well-received internationally that when the campaign was applied to retail, it became the single most successful branded merchandise campaign Ripley’s has ever created, and sold extremely well.
The artwork was seen on t-shirts, hats, and glassware. It was also probably the first truly wearable campaign ever created, and it certainly resonated with tweens & teens. That was a cool spin-off of the campaign, and I was proud of that.
Ripley’s Goes 3D
It was time. With the advent of the new HD digital 3D technologies, Ripley’s — with over 90 years of 2D content that absolutely NOBODY else in the world has gathered — was ripe for the move to the big boy leagues of high-tech content creation and delivery.
Ripley’s is in the attractions business, so the opportunity to reload, refresh, and relaunch decades of vintage iconic film footage and capture younger audiences in new, exciting ways was important. Luckily I found the right partner with Lucid Dreams 3D/PassmoreLab to handle the conversion.
The release announcing the move is below.
September 25, 2008
Lucid Dreams 3D and PassmoreLab to Convert Films for Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
San Diego, CA - With modern-day technological foresight, the 90-year old Ripley’s Believe It or Not! has begun the process of converting its extensive film footage, much of which was shot by Robert Ripley himself in the 1920s and 1930s, into 3D digital programming.
To achieve that lofty goal, the quirky entertainment company has turned to the experts at Lucid Dreams 3D and PassmoreLab. With the creative direction and technology developed by the digital 3D conversion experts at Lucid Dreams 3D and PassmoreLab, the Ripley archives have yielded an initial series of films that are guaranteed to wow viewers and fans of Ripley’s Believe It of Not!
“We’re quite excited as our company starts to embrace 3D digital content,” said Steve Glum, VP Marketing and Branding for Ripley Entertainment Inc. “As we convert more and more of our extensive 2D film library into digital 3D, we will be rolling it out into new 3D theaters in our Believe It or Not! Odditoriums worldwide.”
“We started the process by picking out five films that we felt were the most dramatic and effective for 3D,” said James Humann, Lucid Dreams 3D president and founder.
The five titles chosen are quite diverse and each has its own unique conversion challenges. “Daddy Pop-Eye,” is a story about a man who could make both eyes pop almost completely out of his head; “Snake Charmer,” is all about the art of working with snakes, and a guy who lets them slither up his nose and out of his mouth; “Kid Pool Shark,” demonstrates the unbelievable billiards skill of a 7-year-old boy; “Robosaurus,” features an amazing 3-story-tall, car-eating mechanical dinosaur; and “Pyroboy,” is the blazing tale of a man who walks through an inferno - for fun!
As these stories suggest, Ripley’s wide-ranging library contains material that is well beyond the ordinary. “The immersive 3D experience will certainly become a big part of Ripley’s storytelling methodology in the future,” notes Glum. “We’re looking forward to working with LD3D as we begin shooting, converting, and adding the latest in 3D technologies to our family of attractions.”
“We could not be more thrilled to be working with such an iconic brand as Ripley’s Believe it or Not!,” said Humann. “Everyone at Lucid Dreams 3D has a curious fascination with the bizarre and ’strange but true’ tales we often read about, so the opportunity to convert certain classic and current Ripley’s footage really excites us.”
About Lucid Dreams3D
LD3D was formed to express 3D technology and art for on-location entertainment, music videos, cinema and marketing/advertising. Founder James Humann, an intellectual property lawyer formerly with Johnson, Pope, Bokor, Ruppel and Burns, LLP, previously served as Senior Director of Business Affairs at Hard Rock International. Because of its combination of art, science and law, LD3D can help clients develop technology, produce content and protect the assets they provide.
About Ripley Entertainment Inc.
Ripley Entertainment Inc. (www.ripleys.com) is a leading global attractions company with annual attendance of more than 13 million. In addition to its 65-plus attractions, including 32 Believe It or Not! museums, the Orlando, Florida-based company has publishing, licensing and broadcast divisions that oversee projects including the globally syndicated Believe It or Not! television show, best-selling books and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, that still runs daily in 42 countries.
About PassmoreLab
PassmoreLab was established in San Diego, California, in 2003. The company’s staff is comprised of programmers and scientific engineers, and also includes graphic artists, videographers, stereographers, a musical composer, and even a biologist. PassmoreLab facilities include a full studio, video/film post-production, an optical development lab, and a software development environment. PassmoreLab is a firm with staff located around the world, with offices in San Diego, South Africa, Russia, and the Philippines.
Ripley’s San Antonio Opening
Invitation design: Todd Day
If you were invited to the Grand Re-Opening of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in San Antonio, Texas, this is the invitation I sent you. From a brand perspective, this was another big opportunity to continue the brand-building tactics I started when I began to reinvigorate the brand in 2006.
With everything bigger in Texas, we opened the doors to the all-new Ripley’s San Antonio Odditorium, the largest and most interactive Ripley’s to date. The all-new Odditorium housed the ultimate in the odd and bizarre, including the mortician’s toe tag from Lee Harvey Oswald, a two-trunked elephant, a 512-pound iron meteorite and mummified heads.
To celebrate the grand opening, I produced a show hosting a large collection of “Human Believe It or Nots!” with performers and human anomalies from all walks of life –including the 999 Eyes Freakshow, The Traumatic Stress Discipline Suspension Group, Sideshow Bennie the Human Pincushion, Jalisa the Eye Popper, Larry the Leopard, Katzen the Tiger Lady, Wildthing (a trained buffalo, no seriously!) — and many more.
The coolest part was when the suspension group built a human spinning mobile with giant meat hooks piercing their backs while rocking out onstage to a heavy metal soundtrack. You just couldn’t look away. Man, now that’s some serious branding.
http://www.vimeo.com/3379854Ripley’s Shockingly TRUE Stories TV show
This is a great one. As VP of Marketing & Branding, I needed the Ripley’s brand back on TV. Our company and franchise same store sales had dropped off significantly since the end of our previous TV show, the one hosted by Dean Cain. That show had been in reruns since 2004, and wasn’t helping us anymore. A big part of my reinvigoration strategy for the brand had to include a new TV platform.
But getting on TV is not an easy task. Everybody wants a TV show about their brand, or wants product placement, or location placement, or branded content placement, right?
Trust me, they do.
So, instead of waiting around for a production company or network to come to us with a show idea (as we had done in the past, before I joined the company), I decided to write a TV treatment myself. I had written treatments before, and actually sold one in Hollywood in 2001. My strategy for Ripley’s was, if I could get us back on TV, that it would increase our awareness internationally, and quite simply, same store sales would grow. As well, a new TV show could include wireless and broadband platforms, and would support every part of our business…Marketing, Publicity, Archives, Exhibits, etc., all while driving multiple streams of newfound revenue.
I had a concept, and what I needed now was a production company. But I needed one that could see my vision for the brand, and help me get there. After a few meetings with different folks, I found the perfect partner…Insight Productions in Toronto, Ontario.
The concept was fine-tuned, some very smart and creative people got involved, and when it was done, the treatment was tremendous. We immediately started to get interest from some of the biggest names in TV, and when I made the announcement of the show at MIPCOM 2008 in Cannes, France, the William Morris Agency was at our side. The sizzle reel is above, and the announcement of the show from MIPCOM is below.
Pictured: Insight’s John Brunton (left) and Barbara Bowlby, with me in Cannes.
Insight Productions and Ripley Entertainment Announce Co-Venture Agreement for
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Shockingly TRUE Stories
Cannes, France - October 13, 2008 Leading television developer and producer Insight Production Company Ltd. and one of the world’s foremost entertainment companies Ripley Entertainment Inc., announced today a co-venture agreement for a new series based on one of the world’s iconic brands Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! The one hour series will be shot on location around the world with wireless, text and broadband components integral to the show.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Shockingly TRUE Stories is a white knuckle one-hour weekly “shockumentary” TV series that follows the field agents of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!’s seven international bureaus as they embark upon daring expeditions to obtain incredible artifacts from exotic, far-off lands and the shockingly true stories behind them – discoveries which have to be seen to be truly believed! If a three-armed monkey turns up in Sri Lanka, Ripley’s is there. If the mummified head from a lost ancient tribe that challenges the theory of evolution is unearthed on an Indonesian island, Ripley’s highly-trained team is on the move, cameras rolling, searching for the tale behind the treasure. It’s a race against time to retrieve the priceless discovery before it gets away and is lost forever.
“That passion for discovery, that same wonder of the world’s oddities that drove Robert Ripley across 200 countries over 70 years ago, will once again be experienced as our modern day explorers comb the globe for the marvels of our time and share the extraordinary stories behind them,” said John Brunton, President and CEO, Insight Production Company Ltd.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to team with Ripley Entertainment to create a series that embodies the amazement at the very core of Ripley’s globally-known brand,” added Barbara Bowlby, co-executive producer and EVP Insight Production Company Ltd.
What began almost a century ago as Robert Ripley’s personal quest to unearth the incredible - but proven - marvels of the world, has grown to become Ripley Entertainment Inc., a global leader in location-based entertainment, including 68 attractions operating in 12 countries with over 13 million visitors annually. New flagship ”odditoriums” have recently opened in New York’s Times Square, Bangalore, India, and London’s Piccadilly Circus. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! cartoon still runs daily in 200 newspapers in 42 countries.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Shockingly TRUE Stories was developed by Insight Productions together with Ripley Entertainment from a concept created by Steve Glum, Ripley’s VP of Marketing. Produced by Insight Productions, Executive Producers are Insight’s John Brunton and Barbara Bowlby, and Ripley’s Steve Glum. The William Morris Agency is representing the series in the U.S.
“I wanted the unique Ripley’s Believe It or Not! brand to be realized on screen in a fresh and modern way, with television, wireless and broadband content delivery built in,” said Steve Glum. “When I met John Brunton and his team, I knew instantly Insight was the right partner. With their tremendous experience and great passion for storytelling, Insight is the perfect collaborator on a series that will turn heads.”
“We are very excited to be repping Insight Productions and Ripley Entertainment on this amazing new project,” said Mark Itkin Executive VP/Worldwide Co-Head of Television, The William Morris Agency. “They have taken an iconic brand and created a unique and fresh format that will sell all over the world. It is very compelling television.”
Insight Production Company Ltd, headed by John Brunton & Barbara Bowlby, is a recognized industry leader in the creative development, financing and production of highly rated television programs in every genre. Insight has created thousands of hours of groundbreaking television that continues to be broadcast over major networks worldwide and its reputation for quality has been recognized with numerous international awards. Recent hits include Canadian Idol, Canada’s homegrown version of the hugely successful international format, now in its sixth season; Are You Smarter Than a Canadian 5th Grader? an exciting game show that takes adults back to the ‘classroom’; Project Runway Canada, hosted by International Supermodel Iman and Deal or No Deal Canada, the hit primetime game show, starring Howie Mandel, which delivered to Global Television Network its highest ratings of all time for a Canadian program. (www.insighttv.com)
Ripley Entertainment Inc., keeper of the venerable Ripley’s Believe It or Not! brand, is a global leader in location-based entertainment and is considered the worldwide authority on the weird, strange and bizarre. In addition to its 68 attractions, including 32 Believe It or Not! museums, the Orlando, Florida-based company has publishing, licensing and broadcast divisions that oversee projects including the globally syndicated Believe It or Not! television show, best-selling books and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, that runs daily in 42 countries. Ripley Entertainment is a Jim Pattison Company, the third-largest privately held company in Canada. (www.ripleys.com)
Ripley’s & WWE
This is a brand cross-promotion I initiated for Ripley’s with WWE to accomplish three brand objectives: Engagement, Relevance, and Credibility. It also created an opportunity for both brands that had never been attempted before — recreating the superstars of wrestling as full-size wax figures. I brought in WWE Superstars “The Undertaker” and “John Cena”, and put them through the paces of full body life-casting and precision measurement-taking (that is, making molds of them from head to toe in silicone). The process will eventually lead to the creation of the stars and the unveiling of a traveling exhibit that replicates them exactly.
Look close. That’s The Undertaker taking his headcast off. Very cool.
Ripley’s “Freaking Out Families” Ad Campaign
After I successfully launched Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Waterpark Resort in Niagara Falls, I turned my attention to building the Ripley’s brand. It was nearing 90 years old and was in need of some serious brandwork. After building the brand positioning, hierarchy and guidelines, I wanted to create a strategic contemporary campaign that captured the attention of young people and families, while reminding our legions of fans that Ripley’s was still around–and when I was done, it would bigger and better than ever.
My “Freaking Out Families” campaign was the Ripley’s brand’s first-ever international, fully-integrated, vertical multi-lingual ad campaign. It kicked off simultaneously in the US, Denmark, and Canada; and was translated into English, French, Spanish, Croatian, Greek and Hindi aftering debuting in Times Square in outdoor, print TV and online.
The campaign was simple in design, with iconic attention-getting photos and headlines with twisted humor.
Headlines included “Proudly Freaking Out Families for 90 Years”, “Come See What Noah Left Behind”, and “All the Stuff Mother Nature Swept Under the Rug”. It was very well accepted by consumers, showing growth at the turnstiles, while being recognized as the “Work of the Week” by Ad Age magazine during International Ad Week in NYC.
Ripley’s Urban Rail Park
This is a brand extension I initiated in Toronto, Ontario in Winter 2008, as a test to get teens and tweens interacting with the Ripley’s brand in the action sports category. It ran for 16 weeks. It was the largest urban rail park of its kind in Ontario, and included an indoor skateboard park, and an outdoor, 300 ft vertical snowboard down ramp, with three different rail setups. It was quite spectacular and gave boarders some of the most incredible boarding vistas anywhere. It was located at Polson Pier in downtown Toronto, next to Lake Ontario.
From an online and viral perspective, it was the first time the Ripley’s brand fully engaged a younger audience on their own terms, with the overlays of social networking opportunities and viral marketing. I interacted with my audience almost exclusively through Facebook, adding over 2,000 friends to our page in just two weeks. I updated the schedules, events, activities, comments, photos, and videos that we shot daily, and had thousands of user-created photos and videos uploaded over the course of the winter by our core users. I also initiated a grass-roots marketing campaign that dealt directly with skateboard and snowboard shops, publications, skate teams, ski hills, and board manufacturers, with a media outreach strategy that had the park covered by every major TV News station and newspaper in the greater Toronto area on opening day.
It was very cool and spot-on from a branding perspective. To have all these hard-core teen & tween skaters and boarders interacting with the brand was tremendous. It had never happened before. I had grafitti artists tagging the skateboard parks’ walls bowls with their artwork, encouraged by me to take the Ripley logo and do whatever they wanted with it from an artist’s perspective…boarders grinding our rails…and everybody blogging about their experience at the Ripley’s Urban Rail Park, posting their own photos of their jumps, and making their own music videos and posting them. It was fantastic, a completely user-generated community interacting with the brand on their own terms, twisting it up however they wanted. Completely fresh & friendly. Marketing done like dinner.
This pic is a skateboard ramp sticker that had been jumped and grinded on for weeks and weeks. A pretty cool visual testament to the popularity of the park. I like this pic…it’s branding at (hard) work.
Another cool pic from the snow ramp side of the park. Rails right next to Lake Ontario. Nobody ever got an urban rail park vista like this one.
This pic shows the three upper rails, with the lake in the background.
Money shot here. A boarder riding with the City of Toronto in the back.
Skate stickers on the ramps, created by grafitti artists…cool branding tweaks.