April 18, 2005

NBC Universal's Promotional Planning Efforts Pay Off

According to an article in today's Mediaweek, the promotional synergies planned by the NBC Universal Marketing Council have been paying off. The council, which is an internal task force comprised of key marketing executives from NBC and Universal, have been coordinating efforts to maximize promotional opportunities. The article cites three films -- The Bourne Supremacy, Meet the Fockers and Along came Polly -- that the Council focused on where they had attained positive results:

For Bourne, all dayparts on NBC, Bravo, USA and the other company-owned cable units ran promo spots leading up to the premiere, which resulted in a $52 million opening. And for Fockers, the NBC-owned stations held contests in their local markets, where viewers with the last name Focker were invited to a “Focker Family Reunion” at the Universal Orlando theme park. NBCU’s Access Hollywood ran a show on the reunion promo, and, along with the NBC O&Os, premiered the movie’s trailer.

According to Mediaweek, the council devotes between 100-120 gross rating points per week to the current promotional effort.

It would be interesting to see if Time Warner or Fox uses an approach similar to NBCU -- they are decidedly less vocal about it if they do.

NBC Universal's Cross-Promotion Strategy Pays Off

February 16, 2005

Today's Must Read: The Business of Movie Trailers

Here's a must read article from the Los Angeles Times on the business (and politics) of getting movie trailers in front of theater-goers. It gives a good summary of how the system works.

Continue reading "Today's Must Read: The Business of Movie Trailers"

January 18, 2005

World Wrestling Entertainment Launches WWE Films

According to Business Wire, Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment and Stone Cold Steve Austin have come to an agreement for a three-picture deal under the WWE Films banner. The new division is slated to produce 2-4 films a year in-house. Distribution and home video plans have not yet been disclosed.

According to WWE Films Producer Joel Simon, the company will leverage its entire product line to market action and horror flicks to its extensive male fan base:

WWE's investment in its film products will include using all its various media platforms and marketing expertise to promote these films to the public. "There is a synergy within WWE that allows us to put our entire marketing and media infrastructure behind the opening of a WWE movie," stated Simon. "We can promote our movies within our television programming, at our more than 325 annual live events, on the internet, and in our two magazines, "Smackdown" and "Raw", as well as in our many home video and DVD offerings in order to expose our movies to the huge global WWE audience."

Is that the confident, bellicose swagger of a a pro wrestler or a Hollywood exec? We'll see if Hollywood tag-teams 'em or not. They're paying close attention though, since they've been milking the wrestling audience goldmine for years - just check out the WWE site to see the 'Friday Night Lights' ads plastered everywhere to get a taste.

Stone Cold Goes Hollywood!!!

November 30, 2004

CNN And Miramax Partner To Promote 'The Aviator'

According to Mediapost, CNN and Miramax have teamed up for a "multi-platform promotional initiative" for 'The Aviator,' due in theaters December 17. According to the article:

The on-air spots promoting the movie literally take flight on the CNN networks and encourage viewers to log on to CNN.com to learn how to win a trip to experience the glamour of "Old Hollywood" embodied throughout the film.
In addition, branded movie promotional banners will run on CNN.com, directing users to "The Aviator" promotional mini-site, at which they can enter the consumer sweepstakes, watch the movie trailer, and obtain information about the film.

Additionally, a "Making of" featurette will be screening on the CNN Airport Network.

MediaDailyNews 11-30-04

Disney's 'The Incredibles' Uses Extensive Mobile Device Marketing

In addition to saturating the planet's TV screens, magazines, newspapers and fast food outlets, it looks like Disney and Pixar are hitting mobile devices hard as well. According to the latest issue of Forbes, mobile device marketing has become integral to the studio's marketing took kit:

Pick up your phone or log onto Disney Mobile, the company's cell-centric Web site, and you can download two dozen Incredibles wallpaper graphics, two new video games and three dozen custom-made ring tones--including one of villain Syndrome growling, "What, you expected a cute little ring?"

However, Disney isn't just interested in marketing movies to kids via cellphones -- they're looking to get into the cellphone game themselves a la Virgin Mobile:

Disney is so enthusiastic about the mobile market that it is getting ready to launch its own cell phone company. For more than a year, company execs have been discussing becoming a "mobile virtual network operator," or MVNO, a model under which a company skips the expensive process of building a national phone network, instead signing on with an existing provider and rebranding its service. A Disney mobile network would allow the company to sell cheap phones, branded with its characters, and provide them with a dedicated, direct marketing channel to kids.

Meanwhile, for all of you movie marketers with a shoestring budget looking to get in on the mobile game, you might want to try the SMS messaging route with a company like Textgram or Phonecaster.

Have a programmer on staff? Maybe you can get them interested in developing some simple content, wallpapers or ringtones using Mobile BASIC, a simple development environment.

Forbes.com: An 'Incredible' Marketing Ploy

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

October 04, 2004

New Book "Open Wide" Examines the finer points of Hollywood Tentpole Marketing

We don't do regular book reviews or reccomendations here at the Movie Marketing Blog, but the well written and relevant "Open Wide" definitely warrants it.

Written by Dade Hays and Jonathan Bing of Variety, the book painstakingly details the marketing of three "tentpole" titles from last summer: Legally Blonde 2, Terminator 3 and Sinbad. The book's timeliness makes it a must read as the tactics described are all still fresh and relevant to today's marketing environment. And despite the book's focus on Hollywood, indie marketers could learn a thing or two about the overall film marketing process -- especially the chapters covering test screenings, press development and cutting trailers.

For the uninitiated, this book will serve as an excellent primer to the world of big-dollar movie marketing, and the easy-flowing style transcends the "case study" approach of similar books.

Read more about "Open Wide" on Amazon.com

Monday Movie Marketing Roundup

Here's a few interesting movie marketing tidbits this Monday morning:

Apparently, the big marketing push for the Kerry biopic Going Upriver by moveon.org failed -- the film only pulled in $303K despite a massive email campaign. [link]

Box Office Prophets has an excellent assessment of the weekend box office numbers.

USA Today has a surprisingly detailed article on the promotional efforts behind the latest Disney/Pixar CGI film The Incredibles. [link]

Lions Gate's thriller Final Cut is slated to be the first major digital release for AMC's new Digital Theatre Distribution System, which bypasses physical prints in favor of digitally beamed versions of the films. [link]

September 27, 2004

Universal's Marketing Department Gets Schooled the G.E. Way

So we haven't heard much in the media about how the recent Universal acquisition has affected the way they market movies, but this recent article gives some compelling insight on their synergistic exploits:

Universal executives now regularly travel to NBC Universal's offices in New York for quarterly budget reviews and strategic planning sessions, topics that were discussed previously but never with such intensity and frequency. Movie marketing executives are teamed with their counterparts at the NBC television network to find new ways to promote the movies. (The studio had never been aligned with a network.) And Hollywood agents and producers said they were being told by production executives that they must hold the line on costs.

Universal has stumbled so far this year. Can "scientific management" work in the context of movie marketing? The Hollywood story teems with past attempts of mega-corporations at "taming the beast," but history seems to show that the studios operate best as autonomous units.
Six Sigma: A Hollywood Studio Learns the G.E. Way | theledger.com

August 20, 2004

'Super Size Me' to Use Guerrilla Marketing Tactics in the U.K.

Brand Republic is reporting that Morgan Spurlock will take the lead of an integrated guerrilla marketing effort to coincide with the film's U.K. launch:

Distributor Tartan Films has developed a marketing strategy to target both a mass-market audience and obesity campaigners.

A nationwide consumer push will include guerrilla activity at shopping malls and an outdoor and radio campaign. TV commercials are also being considered.

The film is being co-promoted with the British Heart Foundation, the British Medical Association and Sustain, which lobbies for better food and farming.

The Department of Health has also been asked to put together a panel of experts to talk about the issues raised. This will be filmed and screened in cinemas showing advance previews of the film.

Let's see if they can top the German distributors in the controversy category...Brand Republic

August 11, 2004

20th Century Fox using 21st Century Sandwich Boards

Looks like Fox has been using human billboards wearing T-shirts with embedded LCD screens to promote new releases. This bizarre invention comes from Adam Hollander of Brand Marketers in San Francisco, CA, and from what I've been reading around the net, the premise is this: a "mobile marketer" simply walks up to people in high traffic areas with the shirt showing a special shortened cut of a film's trailer. My guess is that the individual has also memorized some talking points regarding the film and has some sort of flyer to give out as well.

The washington Times reports:

Movie studio 20th Century Fox saw the potential of the shirts and put them to use to promote "I, Robot," starring Will Smith. Last month the T-shirts were worn in 40 to 50 locations in 10 cities, including the District.
"Because it's something innovative and different, people want to check it out," said Jeffrey Godsick, executive vice president of marketing for 20th Century Fox. "It really drew people in."
The studio is considering using the shirts for future promotions, including for "Taxi." The movie, starring Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon, opens in the fall.

The India Times is reporting that the shirts cost roughly $550 apiece. I don't know if this is the manufacturing or retail cost though.

Boob tubes on flat chests, the latest fashion statement!

TV T-shirts - The Washington Times: Business - August 11, 2004

August 05, 2004

Wellspring Steers Their Own Kind of "Hummer" onto Hollywood Boulevard

A controversial billboard depicting a key sex scene in 'The Brown Bunny' has been generating quite a bite of publicity for the film's upcoming theatrical release. However, Wellspring, the film's distributor, has a long way to go before it digs Vincent Gallo's film out from under the massive mountain of bad publicity that it garnered last year. Dubbed the "worst Film at Cannes" by many prominent critics, the film sparked a venomous back-and-forth argument between Gallo and critic Roger Ebert.

The billboard has accomplished two critical things:

First, it has generated a massive amount of print publicity (articles in the New York Times, L.A. Times, and countless others) that is easily worth more than the $50,000 cost of the billboard.

Second, the attention has been shifted away from the nearly insurmountable wall of critical disdain towards the most talked about element in the film - the sex scene involving Gallo and Chloe Sevigny. One trick pony or not, that is the one big marketing hook that will get even the most jaded hipster's butt into the theater.

And as far as the risk of a public backlash is concerned, the billboard's not in Kentucky or Ohio -- it's in L.A., the home turf of the porno industry. And while I think Wellspring's notion that the ad's "no worse than a Calvin Klein ad" pretty ridiculous, we all know that an "incensed public" will only create a self-perpetuation of interest.

My biggest concern -- Wellspring has a "classy" brand image, and however you want to spin it, this campaign is the antithesis of classy. What would Sony Pictures Classics or New Yorker Films do?

The New York Times > Movies > Art? Smut? Commerce? Billboard Gets Attention

August 04, 2004

Declining Novel Readership and its Effect on Movie Marketing

The Hollywood Reporter has an excellent, must-read article about the effect of declining readership among adults, and the effects on movie marketers has different implications than you might think. For example, the real boon from securing a book's rights isn't the large reader base:

Actually, people who read novels may be the wrong audience to bring into theaters opening weekend. Having read the book, they know the story that's supposed to be on the screen and that probably isn't going to be there. People who have read the book are likely to leave a movie theater and tell others that the film wasn't as good as the book or, worse yet, that so many of the good things in the book never made it into the movie. There are reasons for this, of course, that reflect the differences between writing novels and making films.

Continue reading "Declining Novel Readership and its Effect on Movie Marketing"

July 19, 2004

Napoleon Dynamite's Marketing? Sweet!

I have yet to see Napoleon Dynamite, but I am impressed with the creativity of the guys and gals at Fox Searchlight's marketing department. If you've been Reading the Movie Marketing Blog this year, you've seen lots of innovations in the marketplace. Well, Fox has followed some of their own best practices and added a few new and interesting marketing tactics to boot:

1. New scenes -- with this Friday's expansion, Fox has added a 5 minute epilogue to entice fans to come back for a second showing. Straight out of the DVD playbook, this technique worked well for Fox with last year’s '28 Days Later'. The difference? The scenes were shot just 4 weeks ago...

2. Fan Club Competition -- Fox has heavily promoted the "Napoleon Dynamite Fan Club," and now has 20,000 people competing in a contest to select the club's president. The competition winner gets a free screening and other perks, and helps the movie by virally spreading the word among the target demographic.

3. Napoleon Dynamite Mixers -- Special pre-film events held in "tastemaker" cities to turn out the fan club base.

4. Audience Participation Script -- Ever heard of the 'Rocky Horror Picture Show'?

5. Iron-On transfers -- Over 40 different designs that can be printed out and made into t-shirts. Branding, anyone? And no cost to the marketer?

All of this effort would be moot if the film was a dog, but the reviews have been pretty good. I did read somewhere (don't remember where) that the film is "like watching a Wes Anderson cover band" or something to that effect, but In my opinion, Fox Searchlight has done an incredible job of making the film into a unique viewer experience.

Related Links:

Official Site
Fan Club
Rotten Tomatoes Review Page

June 30, 2004

Today's Must Read: Ten Movie Marketing Lessons from the Release of 'Fahrenheit 9/11'

I'm assuming that most of you movie marketers out there already read Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. But in case you missed it somehow, here's a great article discussing the film's marketing strategy. Don't have time to read it? Here's the recipe I found in an old craft services cookbook of mine:

Marketing a la Michael Moore
(Serves half of a polarized electorate)

Preheat oven to 451 degrees.

Ingredients:
1 heaping dose of controversy
1 1/2 villains (colorful preferred)
1/2 cup of audience naivety
2 independent-minded distributors
1 chunk of easily manipulated media

In a separate bowl, mix controversy with a whole villain. Take the chunk of media and break it into smaller pieces (you probably won't be able to separate it into less than six conglomerates) and lay the chunks on a baking sheet. Handily saturate the media with your mixture, manipulating the concoction for at least 2 months. Fold in the 1/2 villain slowly (if you're using the Eisner variety, it could sour the whole batch.) Finally, grease the mixture with the audience naivety and top with the distributors.

Bake for 15 days -- don't let your eye off of the calendar as timing is everything here.

Upon removing from oven, garnish with a healthy dose of GOP anger. For best results, present a thick sample slice to an international film festival, preferably Cannes.

Serving suggestion: Due to the overwhelming response your dish may get from guests, we recommend pairing it with lighter fare (see page 48 for our 'White Chicks' recipe.)

Top 10 things Moore did right with 'Fahrenheit'

June 16, 2004

'Notebook' ups the "sneak-peek" ante with a Week of Teasers

New Line has tweaked the emerging "extended teaser" advertising technique and will air sneak peeks of their upcoming film 'Notebook' all week. Up until now, most teasers have aired only once during primetime alongside shows with broad appeal (like "The Apprentice"). New Line will deviate from this tactic by showing the clips during daytime on The Learning Channel. My guess - TLC's viewer demographics probably fit closer with the anticipated demos for the film, providing a better ROI and reducing marketing expenses.

Related Link:
MediaDailyNews 06-16-04

June 15, 2004

GOP-Friendly PR Firm Behind Efforts at 'Fahrenheit 911' Boycott

The marketing buzz surrounding 'Fahrenheit 911' is already blazing hot, and recent revelations of Republican shenanigans stand to take it up a few degrees. A boycott website called "Stop Michael Moore," ostensibly ran by a citizen's group called "Move America Forward," is in actuality controlled by the GOP-friendly PR firm Russo Marsh & Rogers. Atrios, a political blog, pointed out this fact after they looked up the registrant of the domain name, which turned out to be RM&R. The firm was the publicity arm of the successful effort to recall California Governor Gray Davis last year, and they work almost exclusively with the Republican party.

The boycott website lists contact information for the theaters that currently have the film booked. Here's an excerpt for you:

This movie is nothing more than a political campaign advertisement against the war on terrorism, our troops and President Bush. So why on earth are ANY movie theaters showing this film? "Fahrenheit 9/11" should be shown as a recruiting video for Al-Qaeda, not in our movie theaters. Please join us in telling the movie theater companies below your opinion as it relates to their attempt to profit from the showing of "Fahrenheit 9/11."

This last line was somewhat cryptic, especially considering it's placement right above the theater contact information:

We would like to thank those individuals at Lions Gate Entertainment and IFC Films who support our efforts.

Did somebody at Lion's Gate or IFC drop the exhibitor list in Russo Marsh & Rogers' Laps?

It's a brave new film marketing world, and if you rock the boat, political parties and corporations will fire back with millions of dollars in ad spending to discredit your work and film. but how will these anti-Moore efforts pan out? Their tactics will only build awareness for the film, which will in turn increase demand for tickets. In fact, IFC/Lion's Gate had to set up an online group ticket sales site early in order to meet the intense demand. Exhibitors are seeing dollar signs, and nothing short of death threats and mob violence will get them to change their booking now.

Related Link:
Daily Kos || Political Analysis and other daily rants on the state of the nation.

June 13, 2004

Spiderman stumps his new flick at Wal-Mart Portrait Studios

Looks like spidey is going to add a bright blue vest to his costume in the coming weeks when he begins his stint at the local Wal-Mart. He won't actually be there in person, but he will be available as a backdrop in the portrait studio.

It would be much cooler if you could get a picture with the ol' web-slinger in the flesh, but costumes at hundred of locations is beyond even the hefty marketing budget of this flick.

From the bases at Yankee stadium to the wallet-sized photo in Uncle Frank's wallet, Spiderman is quickly gaining the power of omnipresence. Next episode: "Spidey versus the oversaturation monster!"

Related Link:
Spider-Man Hype! - The premiere Spider-Man Movie site with the latest news and rumors

June 09, 2004

Paramount Sexes Up Condoleeza and Hillary in new "Stepford Wives" Spot

Okay -- we all know that to get attention for your movie these days, simply throwing a few trailers on primetime TV isn't going to cut it -- that is, unless you show some cleavage. Or better yet, celebrity cleavage. And that's just what Paramount has done with their new 'Stepford Wives' spot featuring Condoleeza Rice and Hillary Clinton. According to KMBC of Kansas City:

...the spot, which is running on Channel 9, includes an image of Rice made to look nude from the waist up, and a picture of Clinton that morphs into what looks like a cookie-baking Stepford wife. The pictures move across the screen very quickly, but they caught the eye of a local woman, who recorded the spot to make sure of what she was seeing.

Now I know that 'The Stepford Wives' isn't getting very good word of mouth right now, but was it really worth it to take on Condoleeza and Hillary? Those guys and gals at paramount have some cajones...

Here's a link to that news broadcast if you want to see the naughty parts of the trailer.

Related Link:
'Stepford Wives' Ad Shows Hillary, Condoleezza In Strange Light.

A Brief History of the "Fake Movie Website" Marketing Tactic

With all of the press attention fake movie websites are getting these days, I thought it would be interesting to build a timeline of all of those that I could find. This timeline includes both "hoax" style sites (sites mimicking the look and feel of a real company/institution) and fake fan sites.

1998 -- The Blair Witch Project. The one that started the sub-genre and ignited the interest in internet marketing for films. Released by Artisan Entertainment, the film went on to gross $140,539,099 domestically.

1999 -- The Fanatic's Guide to the Blair Witch -- A fan site rumored to have been started by friends of the film’s producers to manufacture buzz. Salon did an article on this.

January 2000 -- Finemann Films -- A fake film company website appeared in tandem with a major national print buy promoting the 30th anniversary of the company. The site was actually a promotional vehicle for the Jerry Stiller film 'The Independent.' Released by Arrow Films, the film grossed $238,000 domestically.

March 2000 -- Firstpiece.com -- A fan site rumored to be fake. Creation was concurrent with the publicity ramp-up of 'American Pie.' The film was released by Universal Pictures, and went on to gross $101,800,900 domestically.

June 2000 -- Watch Us Dorm -- A fake "webcam voyeur site" used to promote an indie horror film. The film never secured theatrical distribution.

April 2001 -- Bangalore World University -- One of many fake sites that sprang up to build buzz and backstory for the film 'A.I. - Artificial Intelligence.' Released by Warner Brothers, the film grossed $78,616,689 domestically.

May 2001 -- "National Blonde Day" -- A fake association site used to promote the film 'Legally Blonde.' It was updated last year to promote the sequel as well. Released by MGM, the film went on to gross $96,520,674 domestically.

October 2003 -- Lacuna, Inc. -- A fake medical facility that purports to erase unpleasant memories. Created to promote the film 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.' Released by Focus Features, the film has grossed $33,560,352 domestically so far.

January 2004 -- Kingdom Hospital of Maine -- A fake hospital website to promote the TV miniseries "Kingdom Hospital." -- The ABC show has recently fared poorly in the ratings, and will be cancelled after the remaining four episodes air this July.

February 2004 -- The Godsend Institute -- another fake medical facility, this time purporting to be able to "clone lost loved ones." Used to promote the film 'Godsend.' Released by Lions Gate Films, the movie has grossed $14,262,583 domestically so far.

February 2004 -- Katz, Cohen & Phelps -- a fake law firm site used to promote the film 'Laws of Attraction.' Released by New Line, the film has grossed $17,755,992 to date.

April 2004 -- I Robot Now, Inc. -- a fake technology company purporting to sell robots. Created to promote the upcoming release of 'I, Robot.' The film will be released by 20th Century Fox, and will be in theaters July 16th, 2004.

May 2004 -- "Eric Bruderman Webpage." Purports to be a "secret" site where war footage is leaked. Probably created to promote the release of the film 'September Tapes,' which is scheduled for release by First Look Pictures this fall.

Some of these may take a while to load since I pulled the links from archive.org.

This list is by no means complete -- especially in the timeframe between late 2001 - late 2002. if you have a site you know of or have a link to, let me know so I can add it...

June 05, 2004

Indie Film 'September Tapes' upstages Recent Hollywood Efforts at Viral Marketing

Hollywood's efforts to recreate the viral marketing success of "The Blair Witch Project" have been lackluster at best. So it doesn't surprise me that an indie film company may have beat them to the punch. First Look Media, the company behind "The Prophecy" and "Waking Ned Devine," may have a word-of-mouth and internet-driven hit with their upcoming film "September Tapes."

The film, apparently a blend of fact and fiction, chronicles the efforts and subsequent capture of a documentary director in Afghanistan. Fake or not, their recent viral email campaign released a clip that looks more real than network news footage. Think "Blair Witch meets Saving Private Ryan."

First Look has combined this footage with a cryptic, shadowy website (obviously done for peanuts) that really lends to the intrigue. It seems like a viral email regarding the site and a "leaked" film clip is spreading like wildfire, too. Even with a bit of research, I still can't figure out what's real, what's fake and if the director was ever actually kidnapped while filming in Afghanistan. First Look ain't making it any easier, either. According to this article, First Look's keeping mum about the whole campaign. Here's their "official line" regarding the film:

"September Tapes" provides a rare and controversial look behind the scenes of war-torn Afghanistan, where documentary filmmaker Don Larson traveled to the troubled country six months after 9/11 and followed a bounty hunter on the trail of Osama bin Laden. Much of the film’s footage was held by the U.S. Department of Defense after Larson went missing in Afghanistan. It is the first non-Afghani film shot in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban, and it is also the first feature shot in an active war zone."

If the rest of the film looks as good as the trailer, we might have a sleeper hit on our hands in August.

nbc13.com - Entertainment - Mysterious War Footage May Be Part Of Movie Campaign

June 03, 2004

The Unsung Heroes of Movie Marketing

Once a film marketing strategy is drafted and approved, thousands of man-hours are spent developing posters, trailers and other collateral work. An interesting article appeared in today's Long Beach Press-Telegram covering these unsung movie marketing heroes and the work they do -- companies like Aspect Ratio, Poster Child, Gas Station Zebra, Trailer Park, Midnight Oil and the Ant Farm.

For capsule summaries of some of these companies, here's a good overview from the Hollywood Reporter.

One interesting tidbit from the article:

Nielsen MonitorPlus reports that advertising spending by the studios and major independents hit nearly $3.3 billion last year, an increase of $200 million from 2002. And with increases in advertising rates and the demands of standing out in a media-saturated universe, all signs point to it continuing to rise.

looks like really good news for our unsung heroes...

Related Link:
U-Press Telegram -- Believe the hype

May 14, 2004

Will This Summer's "Tent Pole" Releases Attract Adult Moviegoers?

Having personally broken free from the 18-24 demographic some years ago, I was happy to read in yesterday's LA Times that Hollywood is focusing on making and marketing films geared towards adults. But will it work?

I admit -- this year I'm eager to see what's coming down the pike, although I have a sinking suspicion that it's more about erstwhile memories of past summers and the chilly blast of 100,000 btus. But will adults outside the "film freak set" actually get around to catching more than one or two summer films? According to a recent MPAA survey, Hollywood might just be on to something:

According to the Motion Picture Assn. of America, the number of moviegoers ages 50 to 59 rose 20% between July 2002 and last July, making them the fastest-growing segment in the market. Even among "frequent moviegoers," who head for theaters at least once a month, the over-40s are nearly one-third of the pie (compared with 42% for the 12-to-24 bracket.)

Today's opening of the R-rated 'Troy' will be the first test. I'm feeling good with an estimate in the $63-$65 million range. Check out the Weekend Warrior's predictions if you get a chance -- he's the "Jimmy the Greek" of box office prophecies in my opinion.

I'll have some early numbers for you here on both Saturday and Sunday morning.

Yahoo! News - Hollywood Rediscovers Grown-Ups

May 13, 2004

Is the "R-Card" Icing on the Cake for Movie Marketers?

Once the kiss of death for box office success, the MPAA "R" rating is no longer a liability (unless you're Disney, of course.) Recent releases such as 'Matrix: Reloaded' and 'Passion of the Christ' show that there's big money to be made with mature-themed films.

However, with the lines of demarcation between "adult" and "youth" films becoming more clearly defined, theatrical film marketers face the same challenge that the TV business deals with -- the loss of the broad-based audience.

One emerging solution might be the "R-card" -- a parental approval system that enables older teens to see R-rated films. A relatively new phenomenon, the R-card was first introduced by the GKC theater chain in the Midwest over the past several months. Basically, a parent signs a waiver that enables their child to receive a photo ID that allows access to R-rated films without accompaniment.

The trick with this method would be to make getting one of the cards "cool." If awareness can be built up, most teens would jump at the chance at a new status symbol. Maybe the MPAA should partner with Tremor and Regal in developing some kind of program.

Theater offering 'R' film option

May 05, 2004

Spider Man teams up with Major League Baseball

Novelty promotions are continuing unabated. It looks like Columbia Pictures will conduct heavy branding and event marketing in major league ballparks to promote the June 30th release of 'Spiderman II.' While there's a long history of sponsorship between the business world and sports, this is the most extensive cross-marketing campaign undertaken by MLB in a while, and the first in promoting a film. According to ESPN:

As part of a marketing alliance between Major League Baseball Properties, Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, webbed logos of the upcoming film "Spider-Man 2" will appear on bases and on-deck circles in 15 stadiums of teams playing host to inter-league games June 11-13.

With MLB struggling to gain younger fans, the move isn't surprising. However, with baseball fans, the notion of the "sanctity of tradition" could provoke a backlash (It surprised me that the "Passion of the Christ" NASCAR sponsorship blew over). Many fans might be thinking along these lines:

Some will say this reinforces the convergence of sports and entertainment, while others will suggest the only thing converging is bad taste," said David Carter, principal of The Sports Business Group, a sports marketing firm.

ESPN has polled baseball fans about their opinion, and the results don't look good from a marketing standpoint.

At any rate, it's a tossup if the reported $3.6 million dollars that Sony's shelling out will pay off.

Related Link
ESPN.com - SPORTSBUSINESS - MLB in tangled web of on-field advertising

Spider Man teams up with Major League Baseball

Novelty promotions are continuing unabated. It looks like Columbia Pictures will conduct heavy branding and event marketing in major league ballparks to promote the June 30th release of 'Spiderman II.' While there's a long history of sponsorship between the business world and sports, this is the most extensive cross-marketing campaign undertaken by MLB in a while, and the first in promoting a film. According to ESPN:

As part of a marketing alliance between Major League Baseball Properties, Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, webbed logos of the upcoming film "Spider-Man 2" will appear on bases and on-deck circles in 15 stadiums of teams playing host to inter-league games June 11-13.

With MLB struggling to gain younger fans, the move isn't surprising. However, with baseball fans, the notion of the "sanctity of tradition" could provoke a backlash (It surprised me that the "Passion of the Christ" NASCAR sponsorship blew over). Many fans might be thinking along these lines:

Some will say this reinforces the convergence of sports and entertainment, while others will suggest the only thing converging is bad taste," said David Carter, principal of The Sports Business Group, a sports marketing firm.

ESPN has polled baseball fans about their opinion, and the results don't look good from a marketing standpoint.

At any rate, it's a tossup if the reported $3.6 million dollars that Sony's shelling out will pay off.

Related Link
ESPN.com - SPORTSBUSINESS - MLB in tangled web of on-field advertising

April 12, 2004

'Prisoner of Azkaban' Extended Preview to Air on ABC

The "extended preview" bandwagon continues to fill up. ABC will air a ten minute sneak preview of 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,' the latest installment in the series.

The extended clip will follow the broadcast debut of 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' scheduled to air on ABC May 9th.

The segment will be a prelude to an HBO "behind the scenes" special to air in late May. The film is scheduled for release on June 4th.

Related Link:
Sci Fi Wire -- Harry Potter Sneak Preview

VOD Strategies Compared

According to TVweek.com, the video-on-demand battle for mind share has heated up. Their recent article analyzing the competition arising from satellite's DVR push gives some interesting insights into recent VOD strategy changes. A quick summary:

Universal Television is considering reducing the VOD release window to day-and-date parity on select titles, with the remaining windows being reduced from 45 to 30 days or less.

TV Guide Channel is creating special 2 minute promos to boost VOD buy rates. Preliminary testing shows a 39% increase in buys.

Mag Rack utilizes local, affinity marketing events to draw niche viewers like the recent event promoting 'School of Rock.'

So far I'm most impressed with the day-and-date parity approach from Universal. How long before we see overlapping theatrical/VOD releases? The recent success of a concurrent theatrical/DVD release of 'Lost in Translation' shows that it may be viable.

Related Link:
TelevisionWeek -- Media and Television Technology

April 07, 2004

Online Voting Opens for the 33rd Annual Key Art Awards

Online voting is now available for the 33rd annual Key Art Awards. According to their site, the Key Art Awards are:

...the only international competition honoring the professionals who create movie advertising, including theatrical trailers, posters, TV commercials, Internet ads and more. It's the work of these individuals that often determines a film's box office success and chances for Oscar consideration. The Key Art Awards ceremony has become a cornerstone event in the movie marketing community, annually attracting a "who's who"of motion picture executives and creative professionals from every corner of the industry.

The term "key art" is industry jargon for the main pieces of collateral supporting a movie's release -- posters, stills, etc.

I've heard of the awards before, but I never knew about the online voting. This looks like the second year that they're doing it.

Here's a summary of who I voted for:

Best Poster, Comedy: 'Lost in Translation'
Best Poster, Drama: 'American Splendor'
Best Poster, Action/Adventure: 'Pirates of the Caribbean'

Best Trailer, Comedy: 'Lost in Translation'
Best Trailer, Drama: 'Mystic River'
Best Trailer, Action/Adventure: 'Kill Bill Volume I'

I thought the 'Lost in Translation' campaign was brilliant, but perhaps it just struck a chord with my demo...

Best Website: Identity

Related Link:
The Hollywood Reporter.com: Key Art

April 06, 2004

Proctor & Gamble's 'Tremor' Teen Marketing Arm Used by Film Studios

I had read about 'Tremor', the teen-centric word-of-mouth marketing operation started by Proctor and Gamble in 2001, but I wasn't sure if or how the film studios were using them.

This article in the latest issue of Forbes shed some light on it:

Caitlin Jones is Hollywood's kind of pitch gal. Several months ago the 16-year-old received an e-mail announcing DreamWorks SKG's new teen flick, Win A Date With Tad Hamilton!, and was asked to help the studio pick the movie's logo. A few weeks later when she went to a movie theater, she was thrilled to see a trailer for the film and discover that they'd picked the logo she liked. "Oh, my God," she told a friend who was sitting next to her, "I voted for that logo!" She beamed. "So they do listen. It does matter." Jones, a junior at St. Joseph Hill Academy in Staten Island, N.Y., couldn't wait to spread the word. "I told a bunch of friends at school," she recalls. "I told my next door neighbor. I told well over 10 or 20 people." And, of course, she plans to see the film, taking a handful of pals with her.

Based on the article, it looks like Dreamworks uses them fairly regularly for teen-targeted films.

What the excerpt above fails to mention, however is that 'Win a Date with Tad Hamilton' had production costs of $22 Million and estimated marketing costs of $25 Million.

Grosses for the film through March 29th were just shy of $17 million -- pretty unconvincing from an ROI standpoint. Perhaps there are a few successes with film marketing under Tremor's belt, but their website is lacking information on past campaigns.

Related Links:

Tremor

Forbes.com: Kid Nabbing