Despicable Me 2 promises to be one of this summer’s blockbuster hits, and its current advertising campaign will most likely only increase its appeal to parents and kids alike. The Despicable Me franchise has been issuing short, occasion-appropriate clips from the film to advertise its July 3rd release. Among them has been a Mother’s Day clip, and more recently, this spot on how to get rid of summer guests, entitled “Excuses.”
How Despicable Me 2 Lures Adults
We all know when a guest has overstayed their welcome, for Gru – the evil mastermind turned loving dad of the films – guests have overstayed their welcome before they’ve even arrived. The larger premise of this advertising spot, then, is targeted towards adults; kids, after all, don’t really have much power over summer guest arrangements. Adults can sympathize with Gru, who desperately tries to get his daughter Agnes to feign his absence when guests come knocking.
Humor For The Younger Set
It would of course make little sense for a Despicable Me advertising spot to target exclusively adults since it is a children’s film. So, while the premise of this video may be aimed towards adults, the humor is decidedly for the younger set. Agnes must interpret Gru’s pantomimes about why Gru is unavailable – her suggestions include that Gru is putting on lipstick, chopping his head off, and pooping – all options likely to give elementary schoolers a laugh.
Cross-Demographic Marketing In Action
“Excuses” managed to capture an adult problem and reframe it through children’s humor. By combining an adult premise with jokes for younger kids, Despicable Me 2 posits itself as a film parents want to see with their kids, and that even adults without children might wish to see. This type of cross-demographic marketing is key for a movie whose target audience is too young to go to the movies alone, and Despicable Me handles with well. With advertisements like this, along with its hilarious and heart warming Mother’s Day spot, Despicable Me promises to make a big splash in theaters this summer. Take a lesson from the movie and take care not to target one audience to the detriment of others; think about those who consume your product or service, even if that means you need to diversify your strategy.
Does your marketing strategy take various demographics into account? Can you appeal to several target markets at once?