It's one thing when your coworkers or college roommates comment on your Facebook status--but it's quite another when Mr. Darcy or Lydia Bennet does. Starting today, Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet, and other characters from Quirk Books's smash hit Pride and Prejudice and Zombies are getting into the social networking game, with their own Facebook profiles, OKCupid dating profiles, and blogs, and will be interacting with readers.
Quirk Books, which published the bestselling book by Seth Grahame-Smith last year, partnered with branding firm 160over90, which has done campaigns for Nike and American Eagle Outfitters, to bring PPZ characters to a handful of popular social media sites including Facebook and Twitter. 160over90 is doing the blogging and posting on behalf of PPZ characters. (Quirk and series creator Jason Rekulak have approved the copy.)
On Mrs. Bennet's Mommy Blog, for instance, the 19th-century mother shares tips on removing unsightly bloodstains. Mr. Darcy's Facebook profile currently has a status update that reads, "I am the proudest elder brother in all of England. My dear sister just returned from slaying twelve unmentionables, with hardly a drop of perspiration. Bravo, Georgiana!" Elizabeth Bennet also has a Facebook profile, an Etsy page (where she sells apothecary goods), and a Flickr account; while Lydia Bennet has an OKCupid dating profile and Mr. Darcy shares books he likes on Good Reads. Quirk has also created profiles for characters on Delicious, Last.fm, Twitter, and MySpace (MySpace is for Mr. Collins, who "isn't the world's most with-it guy. Naturally, his social media savvy is a little behind the times."). All the characters' social media pages are linked and are cataloged at this landing page.
Quirk is pitching the campaign as an online experience for consumers and a promotional opportunity for retailers to drive consumers into their stores, since stores can register Foursquare and create a Pride and Prejudice and Zombies special.
Melissa Monachello, Quirk’s associate director of marketing and publicity, said, “We’re hoping to bring more people to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and expand awareness of the series. Believe it or not, there are still people who have never heard of the book—even with all the success it has had. We see the social media experience as another way to reach readers. The entire campaign was created to be fun, interactive, and easy to share experience for users. In the coming weeks, a story will unfold through the various Pride and Prejudice and Zombies profiles and accounts, and we encourage fans to be a part of the story.”
