October 15, 2004

Lion's Gate Sends Severed Hands to Journalists to Promote "Saw"

Okay - hands down - most creative promo of the quarter goes to Lion's Gate. Seems they sent out a bunch of fake severed body parts to promote upcoming horror flick "Saw." According to Lloyd Grove of the New York Daily News:

But yesterday morning - after opening up a cardboard box left on my chair, only to find, along with the "Saw" press release, a severed hand in a bloody Ziploc bag - I decided to give Lions Gate Films an award of my own.
The coveted Lowdown Prize for Most Disgusting Movie Promotion goes to Lions Gate President Tom Ortenberg and Creative Marketing Vice President Tim Palen.

So what was the marketing principle behind the stunt? Ortenberg replied:

"We're always looking to use innovative, effective, cost-efficient things in the marketing and distribution of our pictures," said Ortenberg. "We don't spend nearly as much as our competitors. We can be a little bit outside the box."

Hmm. Press kits are usually paper, maybe a folder, a CD-ROM and some extra collateral. We're talking maybe four or five bucks tops (with shipping) -- but a severed hand? Sounds "dicey"!

New York Daily News - Lloyd Grove's Lowdown