Pineapple Express’ Ads Light Up YouTube, MySpace

A new online promo campaign for Sony Pictures’ release “Pineapple Express” claims to offer the first high-definition video ad to appear in YouTube—along with lots of age-restricted content, an online game, and mobile ringtones.

The ads, created by AvatarLabs, are part of a campaign launched Friday to promote traffic for the movie, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco and released on Aug. 6. YouTube visitors see an ad that can expand to 875 x 460 pixels and contains links to both the TV and movie trailers.

Other links contained within the rich media ad direct users to the www.RideTheExpress.com YouTube channel. There they can access a full-screen interactive game, in which players navigate cartoon versions of Rogen or Franco up a “Donkey Kong”-style scaffold while avoiding the movie’s trademark exploding pineapples. Users can also get mobile ringtone downloads of 13 sound bites from the movie.

Visitors who certify that they are over 18 can also access six video clips from the R-rated feature, restricted primarily for coarse language and depicted drug use. They can also download wallpapers restricted for pretty much the same reason.

On MySpace, the takeover ad campaign includes links to three clips of original green-screen “messages” from Rogen and Franco. Besides the game, ringtones and restricted content, it also contains a link to the dedicated “Pineapple Express” MySpace page, which contains more video and downloadable content as well as a Friends group.

“When a film comes along with such a diverse asset collection, it’s very rewarding for us to be able to incorporate those assets into our work in such a playful way,” AvatarLabs Associate Creative Director Laura Primack said in a statement.

“The constant challenge we have when promoting a comedy film is to be as funny as the actual movie,” AvatarLabs Producer Josh Golsen said.

Over the last year, AvatarLabs has created online marketing materials for such film releases as “The Dark Knight,” “Wall-E,” “Hancock,” “Get Smart” and “Narnia 2: Prince Caspian.”

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