Marketing prehistoric Stonehenge with ‘Spinal Tap’

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - An ’80s cult movie icon might not sound like the most obvious choice for marketing a documentary on a prehistoric monument, but D.C.-based National Geographic is hoping the unconventional approach works in its favor.

The company has produced five short videos featuring the character Nigel Tufnel, who was played by Christopher Guest in the 1984 rock satire “This Is Spinal Tap.” In the movie, Tufnel nurses an obsession with Stonehenge and aims to have his aging rock band feature an epic Stonehenge set during its concert. Unfortunately, he gets the measurements wrong and a tiny replica is lowered to the stage in one of the film’s more memorable scenes.

National Geographic is promoting “Stonehenge Decoded,” a special that airs Sunday and offers proof of a 4,500-year-old settlement near the monument. The idea to use Guest came during a brainstorming session, according to National Geographic’s creative director, Andy Baker.

“We got word that Guest was actually a big fan of National Geographic; the idea kept growing and the next thing you know, we were shooting the video,” Baker said.

Guest’s movies rely heavily on improvisation, and the clips promoting Stonehenge have him being interviewed by frequent collaborator Jim Piddock, talking about his character’s conspiracy theories on

Stonehenge.

The videos are on www.stonehengedecoded.com, as well as YouTube, Yahoo Video and Google Video, according to Baker. The company has previously used viral video marketing to promote its “Six Degrees Could Change the World” series on global warming.

Branding expert Rob Frankel, author of “The Revenge of Brand X,” said the network’s idea was brilliant, provided the videos clearly emphasize the special rather than just Guest’s comedic antics.

“The worst mistake that I see is when you hear people saying, ‘I saw the funniest commercial ... but I forget what it’s for,” Frankel said.

Peter Koeppel, president of Koeppel Direct marketing company, cautioned that National Geographic not place too much emphasis on the videos alone for marketing.

“I think the National Geographic audience may skew a little older — the baby boomers may get it, but people at the older end of the spectrum or kids who would watch wouldn’t,” said Koeppel.

melissa.frederick@dcexaminer.com

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