The next James Bond spy adventure film “Spectre” landed a product placement deal with Belvedere vodka. It’s a consumer-product category made famous with the “shaken, not stirred” instruction from the super-cool British movie spy dating back to the 1960s. Sony Pictures will release “Spectre” domestically Nov. 6, 2015. Smirnoff was the prior vodka placement, though other … [Read more...] about Vodka Brand Nabs 007 Film Tie-in
Sony Hack Reveals Confidential Marketing
Major studios are tight-lipped about their marketing, but leaks from the hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment corporate computers provide some insights. For the Tom Hanks drama “Captain Philips,” a PowerPoint slide from Sony Pictures tells staff to stress action to male audiences, emphasize emotional depth to females and steer away from American nationalistic themes, says an … [Read more...] about Sony Hack Reveals Confidential Marketing
Warners Vows to Trim $2bn Marketing Spend
The $12.3 billion-revenue Warner Bros. movie studio revealed it spends $2 billion a year on marketing, which studio chief Kevin Tsujihara promised to trim during a Wall Street conference. Studio parent Time Warner Inc. wants to slash that expenditure by $200 million, as part of a broader plan to goose up its stock price. This comes after refusing a buyout offer from Rupert … [Read more...] about Warners Vows to Trim $2bn Marketing Spend
Dissecting ‘Birdman’ Publicity Campaign
Fox Searchlight pushed a particularly ambitious and early starting publicity campaign for ”Birdman” knowing the cast of the off-beat drama would not be available later. Cast members would be tied down filming other movies. Michael Keaton stars as a washed-up former movie super-hero trying to revive his career with a stage play. The $18 million film, which is getting good … [Read more...] about Dissecting ‘Birdman’ Publicity Campaign
Merchandise Follows ‘Star Wars’ Game Play Data
Merchandise licensees for the Disney “Star Wars” property can look at game play usage data by country to help forecast demand for products ranging from key chains to toys. The data comes from “Star Wars Commander,” which is a free-to-play mobile game that has been downloaded 5 million times, according licensing data authority EPM Communications. Merchandise … [Read more...] about Merchandise Follows ‘Star Wars’ Game Play Data
Sponsors Bankroll Creature Comforts at Fests
Here’s a way to make the tough slog of a film festival more bearable. A press release for the upcoming fifth anniversary of the Indie Lounge at the Sundance film festival Jan. 22-25, 2015 touts the amenities at this sanctuary from the hustle and bustle. “Guests are greeted at the front entrance by an Indie Lounge Ambassador who gives a brief tour of their numerous … [Read more...] about Sponsors Bankroll Creature Comforts at Fests
Tracking Data Crisis Intensifies
Audience tracking surveys are increasingly failing to predict box office, notes Deadline.com’s Anita Busch, who catalogs a succession of recent wrong calls. For example, tracking surveys predicted roughly $20 million in domestic box office for the three-day premiere weekend for The Weinstein Co.’s young-adult “The Giver,” which ended up with just $12.3 million. That’s a … [Read more...] about Tracking Data Crisis Intensifies
Horror Flicks Transplanted in Theme Parks
Halloween is weeks away but already several horror attractions based on scary movies are being announced by the Universal theme parks in Los Angeles and Florida. These entertainment destinations each mount numerous fright attractions for Halloween known as mazes and scarezones. The attractions that transplant movies or other familiar horror properties (including TV series) … [Read more...] about Horror Flicks Transplanted in Theme Parks
Huckster Antics Dull Stars
It's unimaginable that Jimmy Stewart, Kirk Douglas or John Wayne would have endorsed a perfume at the height of their careers. But it's a new era where movie stars routinely are pitchmen/women for wrist watches (Leonardo DiCaprio for the Tag Heuer brand), cars (Laurence Fishburne for Kia) and fashion (Nicole Kidman for designer Jimmy Choo). And don't forget the stinky … [Read more...] about Huckster Antics Dull Stars
Product Placement Beef for ‘Transformers’ in China
A hotel chain in China is suing two product placement brokers claiming foul over a deal with Paramount Pictures release “Transformers: Age of Extinction.” The sci-fi movie will premiere China and in the U.S./Canada June 27. The big-budget fourth installment of the “Transformers” series is rated PG-13 in the U.S. Beijing Pangu Investment Co., which owns a dragon-shaped … [Read more...] about Product Placement Beef for ‘Transformers’ in China