March 2018 – The SWAG Collector

Ready Player One a Hit at WonderCon!!!

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Ready Player One (RPO) was one of the most anticipated presences at the Anaheim Convention Center, during WonderCon, this past weekend (March 23-25).
The movie, opening March 29, had two events at the convention.

At 10:30am, on Saturday, Warner Brothers Pictures hosted an autograph signing featuring cast members and creatives from the film…

Though many RPO fans went into WonderCon Saturday morning, feeling dejected having not been selected in the new autographs online lottery (more on this in a later blogpost), several vigilant fans WERE able to successfully infiltrate the RPO autograph signing!

The autograph signing was attended by Tye Sheridan (Parzival), Philip Zhao (Sho), Lena Waithe (Aech), Olivia Cooke (Art3mis), Win Morisaki (Daito), Ben Mendelsohn (Sorrento), Screenwriter Zak Penn and Author Ernest Cline.

Autographed Ready Player One poster SWAG!

Each of the cast members and creatives engaged with autograph seekers and seemed genuinely happy to be there. And fans lucky enough to attend the signing seemed EVEN MORE happy as they chatted and walked away with autographed poster SWAG!

At 12:25pm, on Saturday, Warner Brothers hosted the cast and creatives in a 45 minute-long panel/Q&A…

Crowd outside the Arena, before the Ready Player One panel

At San Diego Comic Con, because of the need to devote several hours to line-up, fans of a particular property usually have to choose between trying to get autographs OR seeing the panel for that property. Fortunately, because of the Anaheim Arena’s huge capacity (7,500), there’s typically enough seats and enough audience turn-over to accommodate hundreds (possibly thousands) of new audience members at the start of panels.
As a result, fans who attended the RPO autograph signing could also make it into the Arena for the RPO panel!

Ready Player One panelists discussing their experience making the film

During the event, panel members reflected on their time working on the film, and each had humorous anecdotal stories of being star-struck by Director Steven Spielberg.
It was a bit disappointing that the panel didn’t include never-before-seen footage from the film. However, it’s understandable, considering many scenes in this movie contain spoilers… and fans will probably be better-off experiencing it for the first time while viewing the complete film.

On a personal note, I had a great time at the signing and panel!
During the signing, I was able to confirm with Cline that he has begun work on a RPO sequel, and he made a humorous joke about promising to be finished before R.R. Martin’s next Game of Thrones book!
And the events had awesome synchronicity for me, when Tye Sheridan shared with the panel audience how very impressed he was with Lena Waithe’s performance- given it was her first film. …Something he had just became aware of earlier in the day, after hearing me confirm this fact, while chatting with Lena during the autograph signing!

Other than the Los Angeles, red-carpet premier (March 26)… WonderCon was the last BIG stop for the RPO marketing machine!
And in only a few days, fans will finally be able to experience Cline’s universe as imagined by Spielberg!

Thanks to my love of SWAG, I found RPO and I’ll be among the masses entering the Oasis!

So should you!!!

Ready Player One: A Masterclass on Marketing with SWAG!

The term SWAG has evolved over the years, but in the purest definition, SWAG is a promotional giveaway used to create awareness and/or encourage a purchase…
It feels like you’ve hit the jackpot when you get SWAG related to something you enjoy or are anticipating.
And it can be even more exciting when you happen upon SWAG relating to something you’re totally unfamiliar with, yet intrigues you to explore further.

Some SWAG is better than others, but honestly, I don’t think there’s such a thing as “bad” SWAG!
And as a marketing device, SWAG works!

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, published 2011

My experience with Ready Player One (RPO) is a great example of the power of SWAG…

Ready Player One hits theaters March 29.
The movie is an adaption of Author Ernest Cline’s novel of the same name. Though the book was an immediate hit upon publication in 2011, RPO didn’t get on my radar until 2015.

That year, I stumbled upon a line while walking the San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) exhibit hall, and I was fortunate enough to get ensnared by publisher, Penguin Random House’s RPO promotional signing, with Cline.
The line for the signing stretched sooo far past the Penguin Random House booth, that its origin and reason for formation, was totally unclear. But with so many eager faces in line, my FOMO demanded I step to the back, and find out who/what waited at the other end!

As Penguin Random House employees walked the line, handing-out softcover copies of RPO, I struck-up a few conversations.
I asked what RPO was about, and found myself becoming more and more excited as I was told of the book’s dystopian future, the ‘80s nostalgia, the virtual world landscape, and the little guy vs evil corporation plot devices.

Ready Player One signed by Cline at San Diego Comic Con, 2015

When I got to the front and handed-off my book to be signed by Mr. Cline, he was gracious, friendly, and a great ambassador for RPO.
I left the signing feeling extremely enthusiastic, and when I got home, I started reading immediately…

Not surprisingly, I loved the book, and couldn’t resist being vocal about it.
I told everyone I know IRL…
I told everyone on my Twitter feed…
I recommended it at every opportunity…
And though I stopped short of giving away my signed copy, I’m absolutely positive I am responsible for getting AT LEAST three people to read RPO.

With a crowd pleasing property such as RPO, I’m sure my experience isn’t unique. And it’s easy to envision the publisher’s exponential positive return-on-investment from bringing Cline to SDCC, and giving away signed copies of his book, as SWAG.

In 2017, this strategy was mimicked on a larger scale when Warner Brothers Pictures brought their RPO movie promotional campaign to SDCC. The campaign included a panel/autograph signing with Cline and several of the talent associated with the movie, including Director Steven Spielberg!

This time around, I was a 2-year-veteran, Ready Player One fan, and the signing was a highly anticipated, can’t-miss event for me!
However, this second RPO SWAG opportunity was a far-cry from the easily-attended event that was the 2015 book signing.

Movie and television autograph signings are notoriously difficult to attend at SDCC.
Getting these autographs require double-digit HOURS waiting in line, overnight, for a CHANCE at an early morning drawing, that’s riddled with line-cutters and a suspiciously large number of ADA badge holders (who receive preferential line access)!

Though this scenario deters most attendees from autograph seeking, there still are quite a few (hundreds) people vying to pull a wining ticket, from a blind-bag drawing.
And in 2017, I was among those who were willing to take the chance that luck would be on my side.
I mean… it was for Ready Player One- my favorite novel of the past two years!!!
And it was for Steven Spielberg- one of my favorite directors of all time!!!

For me, the hardship endured was worth the risk of possibly walking away empty-handed.

WB Lenticular wristband cut from the wrist at signing…

Fortunately, luck was on my side…
And after sticking my hand in the bag and drawing a ticket, I walked away with one of the coveted wristband that entitled me to join the winning group at the Warner Brothers exhibit booth later that day, for a signing with Cline, Spielberg, and several others.

At the signing event, I had a great time briefly exchanging pleasantries with Cline and the creatives behind the RPO movie!
I couldn’t help but gush over Director Spielberg and tell him how much my kids (who were with me!!!) and I love his work!

Signed Ready Player One promotional poster…

The autographed poster SWAG I walked away with has become an ABSOLUTE cherished part of my SWAG collection!
When I’m asked about SDCC 2017, the RPO signing is always touted as my fondest experience! And to this day, I continue to be the vocal, enthusiastic, Ready Player One fan that the Penguin Random House and Warner Brothers marketing teams hoped to create when their autographed RPO SWAG was bestowed upon me!

RPO premiered to rave reviews at the South by SouthWest (SXSW) festival in Austin, TX.
And on MARCH 24- less than a week from wide release- RPO is making it’s final, big, pre-release, convention promotional push, with a panel/signing at WonderCon in Anaheim, CA!

Though sadly, WonderCon’s recent move to online lotteries for signings makes it unlikely I’ll walk away from the convention having added another autographed poster to my RPO SWAG collection, I’ve got my fingers crossed that the panel, featuring Cline and the “High Five” cast, will also include the “Extra Life” coin (seen at SXSW) as a surprise SWAG giveaway to panel attendees!

…A SWAGCollector can dream, can’t he?

Ready Player One, ahem, “Ready” for WonderCon!

As predicted, Warner Brothers Pictures is headed to WonderCon, Saturday, March 24, with a panel and signing for the highly anticipated movie, Ready Player One (RPO)!
WonderCon recently shared a tweet confirming Author Ernest Cline and the actors bringing the “High Five” characters to life from the page to the screen will appear courtesy of WB Pictures.

Thanks to this WonderCon Tweet, Saturday, March 24 seems like a lifetime away!

It will be interesting to see if San Diego Comic Con‘s little sister will be able to secure director Steven Spielberg for the signing/panel.
The fact that Warner Brothers thought highly enough of WonderCon to bring director Patty Jenkins to last year’s Wonder Woman events is promising…

Wonder Woman Director Patty Jenkins signing at WonderCon 2017

Ready Player One movie poster from SDCC 2017, signed by cast and creative talent- including Director Steven Spielberg!

And the fact that Spielberg made an appearance at the SDCC 2017 RPO events also bodes well.

With WonderCon’s new online lottery system for obtaining autographs, RPO fans have a slim (1-in-60,000) chance of getting signatures from the cast…
However, dedicated RPO fans will have a slightly better chance of attending the Warner Brothers panel in the 7,500-seat, Anaheim Convention Center Arena (interested fans should line-up at least two hours ahead of scheduled start-time).

RPO panels and special screenings made a huge splash at last weekend‘s South by SouthWest show in Austin Texas. As a result, it seemed WonderCon might get overlooked! Fortunately that’s not the case!
…And attendees can expect the RPO fun and goodness to continue at WonderCon!