October 10, 2004

'Shaun of the Dead' Marketing Exploits Celebrity Endorsements

If you've got a genre film to market and find that the only pullquotes you have are obscure at best, you might want to try the approach that Shaun of the Dead recently used -- celebrity testimonials. According to the San Francisco Chronicle:

The hype for "Shaun" deviated from typical preview hoopla: Instead of featuring raves by critics from obscure publications, Rogue Pictures decided to quote heavyweight filmmaker Peter Jackson ("The Lord of the Rings"), who described "Shaun" as "the most entertaining film I've seen all year." Trailers and print ads also feature hosannas from current or past horror film makers Guillermo del Toro ("Hellboy"), Sam Raimi ("Spider-Man," "The Evil Dead") and Robert Rodriguez ("From Dusk Till Dawn").

I remember seeing this technique used on an Indie film from the Tribeca Film Festival a couple of years ago called 'Nine Good teeth,' a documentary about a feisty 100-year old woman. Danny DeVito happened to be in the audience, and the astute producers were able to procure a quote:

"I loved this movie. The thing that disturbs me is that I'm half Nana's age and I've only got four good teeth."--Danny DeVito

An endorsement like that can legitimize an unknown film or help build credibility for genre enthusiasts. Just make sure that you get permission in writing from the person you're quoting.

San Francisco Chronicle: Industry Buzz