Filmed on a budget of $16 million, "The Messengers" pulled in $14.5 million out of the gate, making it the seventh straight year Sony Pictures had the No. 1 movie on Super Bowl weekend and a clear surround-sound marketing success story.

The film, which stars Dylan McDermott, Penelope Ann Miller and John Corbett, is pretty typical horror fare, which is fine with Sony. The studio not only seems to know what Generation Y wants to see, it knows how to get them emotionally invested in the story, and into the movie theater.

The main component is Kristen Stewart, whose character "Jess" is a formerly happy teen who moved with her family from urban Chicago into a haunted farmhouse in South Dakota, but only Jess and her 3-year-old brother Ben can hear and see certain things.

"The Messengers" takes its tagline -- "There is evidence to suggest that children are highly susceptible to paranormal phenomenon. They can see what adults cannot, they believe what adults deny…" -- through every element of the promotion. The website includes traditional elements by today's standards: the movie trailer, clips and webisodes, as well as wallpapers, AIM icons and "The Messengers" screensavers. But take a look at how much more there is to it.

Authors notes: Debra L. Eckerling is a freelance writer. Read full bio.