Let The Games Begin

Shortly after that last Harry Potter movie came out, I fell into a spiraling depression that led me to talking in a British accent and shouting “EXPELLIARMUS” at random passerby. I like to think that I’m not the only person who had this reaction, but it’s hard to say…

The thing that finally brought me out of the black hole I’d been living in was another book series (I know, I’m a nerd), The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. You can check out the wikipedia page to learn more about it, or just go ahead and buy them on Amazon and read them, or you can cheat and just wait until the movie comes out on March 23d (50 days, 28 hours, 14 minutes!).

One of the really cool viral marketing campaigns they’re doing for the movie is a website called Capitol Couture, which is based on the fashions and characters described in the books. Between now and the release of the movie, they’ll be adding new profiles and content based on each of the major characters and plot points in the first book. They’ve also released a website called TheCapitol.pn that allows users to register as citizens of Panem and assign them districts where they can interact with other “citizens” by connecting their facebook or twitter accounts (I’m district 3, Technology, btw… go figure). I love the way they’ve blended reality and fantasy to immerse the audience into the Hunger Games world; they’ve even ended the URL with “.pn” for Panem, the civilization in which the books take place.

Tickets go on sale February 22nd, and you better believe I’ll be first in line to buy them. Until then, “may the odds be ever in your favor.”