Site a 'Legend' for iPhone

WB develops unique online promo

By Carly Mayberry
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"I Am Legend"

Warner Bros. is targeting the appetite of iPhone users in their marketing blitz for the upcoming "I Am Legend," starring Will Smith.

The studio hired ad agency Crew Creative to develop a site that mimics the movie's promotional online site but is specifically designed to be viewed on Apple's mobile device.

The film's official site will be able to recognize whether a user is trying to access the Web site from an iPhone or a computer. The iPhone user will be directed automatically to the custom iPhone site, which includes a synopsis of the film, photo gallery, custom iPhone wallpapers, an RSS feed and a link to an iPhone-compatible trailer on Apple.com.

It also offers a "daylight meter," a feature inspired from the movie's story line where Will Smith's character -- a brilliant scientist who is the last human survivor in New York after a virus has turned everyone into night-walking mutants -- must complete his tasks in the daylight, forcing him to constantly count down the remaining hours.

The widget feature, found on the site at iamlegend.warnerbros.com, tells the current time, daylight hours left and how many days remaining until the film opens.

"The iPhone allows a pleasing visual experience, particularly for the panoramas of New York City that we've created for the site," Warner Bros. senior vp interactive marketing Don Buckley said. "It is a step in the natural progression of giving consumers information when and where they want it."

Jenny Wall, Crew Creative president of interactive marketing, said that in the case of "Legend," the iPhone is particularly suited as a promotional medium.

"This film is about technology and takes place in the future, so this site really makes sense," Wall said.

"I Am Legend," which is scheduled to open Dec. 14, is directed by Francis Lawrence and co-stars Alice Braga and Dash Mihok.

Crew Creative has been involved on the marketing campaigns for such films as "The Prestige," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Ray."

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