Google partners with Fox for ‘Kingsman’ promotion

Google and 20th Century Fox want to bring the spy experience to life with their new promotional website for the coming film “Kingsman: The Secret Service.”

Using platforms such as Google Chrome, Google Street View/Maps and YouTube, the “Become a Kingsman” interactive website gives users the opportunity to immerse themselves in the action spy film, which opens on Friday.

“Google brought Fox the idea to give fans a chance to step into the world of the Kingsman, meet the characters and experience the thrill of what it’s like to be a Kingsman knight,” George Dewey, Fox’s senior vice president of domestic digital marketing, said in a statement.

The announcement reflects the latest of Google’s efforts to strengthen its ties with Hollywood as more and more studios embrace digital platforms to market their films.

In June, YouTube and Legendary Entertainment teamed for the release of “Godzilla,” allowing creators to film on movie sets that were brought to the YouTube Space LA.

Paramount teamed with Google to launch the “Interstellar Space Hub,” a marketing campaign that brought Christopher Nolan’s film and Google platforms together for one immersive experience.

Leading up to the Nov. 21 release of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 1,” Lionsgate and Google created original programming on Capitol TV, a website that is based on the government-sanctioned TV network of the franchise.

“Studios create content that is derivative of their major franchises on our platforms and it’s attracted a lot of eyeballs,” Robert Kyncl, head of global business at YouTube, told The Times in an interview in November. “That’s really great for us and for them because it is increasing awareness of their main product they are about to release. We are seeing more and more of that happening.”

“Kingsman,” based on a comic book, follows a street kid (Taron Egerton) after he is recruited into a secret spy organization by Harry Hart (Colin Firth) as a global threat emerges from an evil tech genius.

Available on computers and cellphones, the experience puts users in control of a major action scene in the movie, allowing them to fight as Firth’s character.

After users click the “become a kingsman” button, a message pops up that reads: “I hear you’re keen to become a Kingsman knight. My compliments on your superb taste in international intelligence agencies. To join Kingsman, first you have to prove your potential. Your life will only be put in danger half a dozen times, nothing to worry about. Right, off you go.”

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