Minecraft Mayhem

Hello World!

I was in high school when Mojang first released Minecraft 1.0 and spent a lot of time in the computer lab playing on a shared server with my friends and classmates. I never thought we were experiencing a milestone in the videogame industry, we were just adolescents having fun (albeit we should have been doing schoolwork). It has since become the greatest selling videogame of all time, with over 300 million copies sold. 14 years later we get “A Minecraft Movie”, starring Jack Black and produced by Warner Bros. Studios. It has become a box office success, grossing 550 million dollars globally after ten days in theaters. The movie is aimed at a younger audience, a family friendly flick meant to capture the fun and adventure of the original videogame. Though the turnout has been a great success, fans in theaters have shown a level of excitement bordering on the absurd.

It all started with a single movie scene, where Jack Black utters the line “Chicken Jockey”, sending theater viewers into a screaming frenzy, flashing phone lights, throwing popcorn, and in one theater; lifting an actual live chicken into the air snuck in by a viewer. What’s a “Chicken Jockey”? A chicken jockey is a Minecraft term used to describe a baby zombie riding a chicken. Teenagers have picked up on this viral trend across the country, recording on Tiktok during screenings, and picking up the battlecry the moment Jack Black utters the now famous line. It’s gotten so bad, some theaters now require minors to bring a responsible adult with them if they want to watch the movie.

Here’s a link to the video news coverage by ABC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGH885EcmKs

The overwhelming opinion seems to be that it's a harmless trend, though a lot of people online show sympathy for theater employees, who have to clean up the mess that’s being made. 

One commentator said it was the best theater experience of their life:

Another said screaming the line “Chicken Jockey” in unison isn’t bad, but kids need to calm down with the popcorn throwing:

Warner Bros. has decided to tackle the social media trend and  help at least one theater in Century City, where Jack Black made a surprise appearance, pleading to the audience not to participate in the trend. Needless to say, fans cheered for Jack Black when they saw him at their local theater. 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MDm1ctGmIus

A video of his appearance has been uploaded on social media, including Youtube, where one commentator called Jack Black a national treasure:

Other than sending Jack Black for PR, neither Warner Bros. nor Mojang appear to have explicitly commented on the trend through social media. Though the official Minecraft twitter has posted a couple of pictures of chicken jockeys on social media. 

https://x.com/Minecraft/status/1910726144170611160

These pictures are silly, and posted as a sort of “wink” to their followers that they’re aware of the trend, while remaining cryptic, lacking an actual comment on the trend itself. They seem to be aware that the whole situation is absurd, and will blow over. Besides, Warner Bros seem to hold a bigger responsibility in this case (being in charge of the movie itself). 

https://x.com/Minecraft

The minecraft twitter following is significant, having 7.6 million followers. They have great content and updates, and are very consistent. I think they could do a better job engaging with their fans in the comment section though, where they seem to be lacking in conversation. And though their posts are frequently funny and full of memes that engage the audience,  I think they’re game update posts sound a little too much like a billboard. If I was the brand manager, I would comment on as many comments as I can, positive or negative, and I would tone down the corporate/salesman language of their update posts.

As for how to handle the Chicken Jockey situation: I think sending Jack Black was a solid move. The movie studios are toeing the line between preventing a mess at the theaters (theaters that are working with you to present your movie) while allowing adolescents to engage in a fun movie experience. You don’t want to be the movie studios who told kids not to have fun at a family friendly movie. Sending Jack Black himself keeps things light and fun, while also sending the message that leaving a mess at the theaters is not a good idea, and unfair for the employees who work there. I’ve learned that PR is about problem solving, especially when you’re caught between a rock and a hard place. If people are enjoying your product, but that enjoyment is having a negative effect, how do you maintain the enjoyment of the product while preventing the negative effect? Not only does one have to come up with a solution, but according to real-time marketing, you have to come up with a solution fast! Fast like a Chicken Jockey! 

That’s all, folks!

“I WANT MY BABY BACK BABY BACK BABY BACK…”

Hello World!

Here’s an article that caught my eye; Chili’s Grill and Bar is opening a new location in Scranton, Pennsylvania, a destination 2,900 miles away from where I live and yet tempting me to go nonetheless. Why, you ask? Well, this Chili’s in particular is embracing nostalgia in a way that makes it remarkable. The new location dons its 2005 decor and design in homage to the hit comedy mockumentary “The Office” which was set in the city of Scranton itself! 

https://www.marketingdive.com/news/chilis-the-office-new-scranton-pa-location/743989/

A little background (or: how the connection between a hit comedy series and a casual restaurant dining chain came to be): The crossover between Chili’s and “The Office” goes back to an episode of “The Office” called “The Client” (Season 2 Episode 7) in which two characters of the series visit a Chili’s restaurant to try and close a deal with a potential client. The episode contains important character developments that make the show iconic and was ultimately viewed by 7.5 million people! Talk about exposure! The episode contains many fan quotable moments, including the series lead Michael Scott (Steve Carrel) singing the now famous Baby Back Ribs jingle. 

More than 10 years after the series finale and “The Office”s cultural relevance continues in the form of merchandising and memes, it was even the most streamed show in 2020(by far!) with American audiences accumulating 57 billion minutes watched! That’s a lot of people watching Michael Scott sing the Baby Back Ribs Jingle! Evidently; it’s as good a time as ever for Chili’s to tap into millennial nostalgia and open up a location which serves homage to “The Office”. The new restaurant will be decorated with mementos that celebrate the show, including bringing back a since discontinued food item that made an appearance in the show’s episode (the deep fried onion dish: “The Awesome Blossom”). The location’s opening is not without online ad support, including an ad on youtube (with a view count of 2.9 million views and counting!) featuring some of the show’s stars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vut_R7J7XE

Chili’s, which has made many successful attempts at modernizing its brand with social media content including Tik Tok and Instagram(its parent company boasting a 26.45% year-over-year revenue increase) has decided to leave aside one restaurant with a different value proposition; not one of current trends and internet fads, but one of nostalgia. Nostalgia could be a challenge, but if the latest media impressions and reactions to this new ad campaign are anything to go off, it appears to be an easy hurdle for Chili’s. This new location is not only different from its other locations, but from its competitors as well(no other restaurants can brag such a theme), giving it a competitive edge. I always believed nostalgia bait to be a risk, but I’ve learned with this ad campaign that it can be the obvious solution.

IMO: It seems to me Chili’s is doing so much right, they're casting a net to a very specific audience, one that appeals to millennial fans of the show. This should draw in audiences of the show as well as those who enjoy Chili’s already. The ad campaign appears to be working, but if I were brand manager, I would work out a deal to include Steve Carrel in the ad campaign. He’s a highly celebrated actor and no doubt expensive to work with, but I believe it’s worth the risk considering he is the face of the show itself! Steve Carrel singing the Baby Back Ribs jingle is content gold, a risk that is definitely worth the reward. I think Chili’s is making a mistake by not sparing the budget needed to bring the face of Michael Scott into their ad campaign. 

That's all, folks!

ABOUT ME

Hello, World!

My name is Jesus Sandoval and I am a student enrolled at Linn Benton Community College and on track to becoming a printing technician. I am currently taking the Principles of Marketing course which will provide me with the necessary knowledge I need to market in the printing world. Marketing is interesting because it is an incredibly widespread industry that overlaps with many other subjects, including my own field of interest. Seeing as I want to enter the printing business (which is all about generating products), I am excited to learn how to market products effectively. Outside of college I am passionate about writing and drawing comic books, which I do on my spare time as a hobby. I hope to self publish one day and start my own comic book imprint.

That's all, Folks!