Why does the TMNT have "secret" events?

**Venom** · 07-16-2011, 12:54 PM

I was just thinking back to past events held for the Turtles, most recently like when Turtles Forever was previewed a couple of years back, and it got me to thinking: why doesn't Nick, Playmates, and IDW have a collaborative effort to make the Turtles' comeback a huge event?

Why does it seem like the Turtles are always secreted away into a corner where only a small handful of people will even see it rather than having a huge blowout presence where everyone can see "Hey, the Turtles are BACK!" or even in the past, letting them know that the TMNT were still alive and kicking??

It may be just that very thing this year a spectacular announcement, I've never been to a con so I'm not sure how the politics work, but it just seems like the TMNT franchise has always been relegated to small pockets of secret events.

Any folks who frequent cons care to elaborate and offer opinions/insights?

*Donnie* · 07-16-2011, 01:03 PM

I've never been to a Con either, but I can say from a jealous standpoint that these events shouldn't be so secretive.

*CyberCubed* · 07-16-2011, 02:38 PM

I'd like to know why they aim these events at older fans. Isn't this show for new little kids?

Why do they keep inviting 25 year old fans to these events when this series is not for us?

*Revan* · 07-16-2011, 03:05 PM

Older fans are more likely to show up to comic con. Not too many 7 year olds wandering around those things alone

prometheanworks · 07-16-2011, 03:20 PM

Since we're still quite a ways out from the premiere, I'd argue these events are more of a grassroots attempt to reclaim fans. The amount of open-to-buy dollars of 18-35 year olds is greater than ever, and for mega-license owners of reinvented 80's properties, it's critical to maintain two conduits of content- one geared towards their core (the 6-12 year old) and one geared towards the older, nostalgic fan. Why? They have:

1.) Kids themselves now
OR
2.) Have the money to support the more premium-end of of the licensed program (and movie initiatives)
OR
3.) Both.

By creating a successful multi-generational chain of fandom, the revenue stream can be incalculable. Look at Star Wars, for instance.

Will we see future events with a broader audience in mind? Definitely. It's Nick.

**Venom** · 07-16-2011, 04:01 PM

All good points, prometheanworks, but why have such a hidden, secretive grassroots effort to "reclaim fans" when the only folks who typically attend/get invited (that I know of) are already fans. If there was a more open TMNT booth sponsored by the collaborative efforts of Nick, Playmates, and IDW so show off the new Turtles at one main booth would draw more people and help spread the word that the Turtles are making a comeback in a BIG way.

Remember a few years ago when they had a truck parked with the Autobot logo to tease at the Transformers movie, which was still a good couple of years out? Paramount could do something similar for the Turtles...

It's somewhat frustrating, as a person who has followed the franchise since the miniseries debutted, owns nearly every OT figure, and 99.9998% full runs of every American TMNT comic, to see the property continually get hype around the usual channels but not get much outside of our small circle. Everyone should be excited but it seems like the collective attitude of the mainstream fan is "Really? That's awesome; oh hey, did you know there's another Batman movie coming out?"

Eh, /rant

Archon_Turtle · 07-16-2011, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Venom

I was just thinking back to past events held for the Turtles, most recently like when Turtles Forever was previewed a couple of years back, and it got me to thinking: why doesn't Nick, Playmates, and IDW have a collaborative effort to make the Turtles' comeback a huge event?

Why does it seem like the Turtles are always secreted away into a corner where only a small handful of people will even see it rather than having a huge blowout presence where everyone can see "Hey, the Turtles are BACK!" or even in the past, letting them know that the TMNT were still alive and kicking??

It may be just that very thing this year a spectacular announcement, I've never been to a con so I'm not sure how the politics work, but it just seems like the TMNT franchise has always been relegated to small pockets of secret events.

Any folks who frequent cons care to elaborate and offer opinions/insights?

To Exclude You.

To be fair though, they have been promoting the show...just not the places you look. Unless you watch Nickelodeon....

*Roseangelo* · 07-16-2011, 05:17 PM

Money. Marketing. Logistics.

The debut of the new show is too far out for it to be worth it to Nickelodeon to use their expensive convention booth space on TMNT. They need to dedicate that to their projects coming out within the next year. I do expect the booth will have some signage for this event, though. IDW's comic is coming out next month, so they're giving away a free comic and there is likely to be TMNT stuff at their panel, and probably a lot of signage at their booth. That is hardly hiding it.

Off-site, private events are a regular occurrence at Comic-Con. Last year the big thing was free screenings of the Scott Pilgrim movie. One year I saw a free screening of The Island. Three years ago I went on a scavenger hunt downtown and ended up at a free screening of the pilot episode of Fringe. The TMNT 25th anniversary party had a scavenger hunt element to it. It sounds like Con attendees this year will have quite a few similar opportunities to get a ticket for this TMNT event. Stuff like this creates a buzz amongst the Con attendees, and the companies want buzz. And there's nothing secret about this year's event; any TMNT fan paying any amount of attention knows about it. The only way you're going to find the really cool stuff at Comic-Con is to pay special close attention to everything that interests you most.

Holding an off-site event gives you more control over all the variables of the event, instead of the cattle herd approach to on-site events. At the TMNT 25 party they chose to serve food and alcohol. This year we're getting free pizza.

Nickelodeon will go big with TMNT next year. And then again whenever the movie gets rolling.