Artificial intelligence company Perplexity employs the traditional film trailer format as newfangled tech goes old school in its consumer marketing. Perplexity is an “answer engine” that employs AI.
AI capabilities and startup companies are revolutionizing computing, achieving huge valuations with investors, and closely held startup Perplexity is trolling for human users. Its consumer marketing included a TV commercial in ABC Television coverage of the NBA basketball championship June 6.
Online trade news Media Post says the Perplexity marketing campaign is “created in partnership with the indie agency Sandwich as a fake movie trailer called ‘Know-It-All’ tells the story about a lovable and humorous band of outsiders who team up to build a new electrical power source. It’s an action adventure with some slapstick using innovative technologies.”
The Media Post article is by Laurie Sullivan and says the commercial also will play in digital streaming outlets such as Hulu, Disney+ and YouTube. As for the 110-second faux film trailer, Media Post reports it was made in just two days on a low budget.
The trailer is a mashup of real films: the “Expendables” franchise of misfits as mercenaries; search for a famed recluse “Rebel in the Rye”; and adventure caper “Mission: Impossible.” The trailer can be seen as a little strained (the voice-over intones “The guy’s a legend but nobody’s seen him for years!”).
But the message is clear: Perplexity saves the world and makes it better! The company cloaks itself in the traditional movie trailer format that is a familiar vehicle to viewing consumers. The trailer oozes with mystery and suggestions of adventure to come.
It’s a testament to the durability of movies that other industries imitate and adopt their signature marketing elements. For instance, fast-food chain Taco Bell mounted a whole advertising campaign with TV commercials styled like film trailers for horror movies.
Perplexity is in hot competition with OpenAI (and its ChatGPT chatbot), Anthropic and AI offerings from the tech sector’s mega-giant Magnificent Seven.
There are reports that Perplexity is getting outside interest to develop the trailer into an actual Hollywood movie, which seems a bit fanciful. But who knows. The Perplexity trailer has a closing credit slide on screen that, again, imitates movies saying: “This Movie is Not (Yet) Real,” which plays off the familiar disclaimer that this-movie-is-not-yet-rated.
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