Reviving a Classic: The Squarespace Journey of Back to the Future Official Website by Braunsberger Media
The Back to the Future trilogy has captivated audiences for decades, blending adventure, science fiction, and humor in a way that has left a lasting impact on popular culture. Initially launched in 1995, the official Back to the Future website has served as a digital hub for fans worldwide. However, as digital technologies evolved, the experienced Executive Director of BTTF.com, Stephen Clark, recognized the necessity for a more streamlined approach to managing the website and its growing content. As a renowned Squarespace agency, Braunsberger Media was entrusted with transitioning the website to the latest Squarespace platform to ensure a seamless and enhanced user experience while maintaining the essence of the beloved trilogy.
Squarespace was chosen for its user-friendly interface, responsive design capabilities, and seamless integration features, making it an ideal platform for this content-heavy website.
The Client
BTTF.com was founded in 1995 by Stephen Clark (left on the photo next to Michael J. Fox), originally intended as an online component to the official Back to the Future fan club and quarterly fan magazine he ran at the time, the Hill Valley Telegraph (1992-1996).
Between 1995-1997, it was simply known as Back to the Future...The Web Page and was the very first Back to the Future site on the Internet. In the early years, it was hosted on a single-user dial-up account at Traveller Internet Services in Huntsville, Alabama.
The Trailer:
About the Designer
Under the leadership of Armin Braunsberger, a distinguished multi-media professional and web designer based in Denmark, Braunsberger Media has built a leading position on the Squarespace Marketplace with more than 700 verified projects.
Features
Randomizer Script
to randomly show a movie trailer with each homepage load - in collaboration with our dear longterm colleague and developer Colin Irwin
Multi-Language Support
We integrated Weglot to display the website in three additional Languages
The launch of the official website for Back to the Future marked a significant milestone in the digital celebration of this iconic trilogy. Designed to meet the needs of a diverse and global fan base, the website emerged as the definitive online destination for all things related to the series.
Featuring a rich tapestry of content, from deep background information to the latest news on franchise-related events, the site preserves the enduring appeal of the movies. Seamlessly incorporating elements that fans adore, the site serves as a central hub for celebrating the adventures of Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd), among other beloved characters.
This digital platform provides comprehensive background information and updates on franchise-related events. it also features a merchandise store, allowing fans to dive deeper into the world created by these iconic characters and their actors.
A Few Fun Facts you might not know about the trilogy:
The concept for Back to the Future was born from writer/producer Bob Gale discovering his father's yearbook and pondering if they would have been friends in school.
The iconic DeLorean time machine was initially envisioned as a refrigerator. This idea evolved into the car partly to avoid the suggestion that children should climb into fridges.
Universal Pictures' head suggested renaming the film to Spaceman From Pluto, fearing the original title wouldn't attract audiences. Steven Spielberg deftly handled this by treating the suggestion as a joke, allowing the original title to remain.
The character Biff Tannen was named after a Universal executive known for his unpleasant demeanor, drawing a parallel to the film's antagonist.
The town used for Hill Valley in 1885 in Back to the Future III was struck by lightning and destroyed in 1996, adding a layer of life-imitating-art to the saga.
Ronald Reagan, who was referenced humorously in the film, was reportedly amused by the mention and quoted the film in his 1986 State of the Union address.
Elijah Wood made his theatrical debut in Back to the Future II, playing one of the two video game boys Marty encounters.
The plotline of Marty's mother developing a crush on him was too risqué for Disney but not risqué enough for other studios, reflecting the unique narrative challenges the script faced.
A suggestion by Michael J. Fox about enjoying Westerns influenced the setting of the third movie to the Old West.
Sources: Shortlist.com / Ranker.com
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Further Work
