The luxury wristwatch industry is going ga-ga over product placements on celebrities at awards shows. Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney are among the stars conspicuously flashing pricey time-piece metal for TV and photographers at Sunday’s Golden Globe awards. A Hollywood Reporter magazine story summed up with the headline: “Leonardo DiCaprio Really Wanted You to See His … [Read more...] about Luxury Wristwatches Star in Hollywood
branding
Distributor Going Public Validates Indies
Smallish independent film distributor Angel Studios went public earlier this month at a hefty $1.6 billion in pro forma enterprise value (sum of stock value and borrowings). That’s an amazing validation of economic value for a company in domestic theatrical distribution, which is a hardscrabble business outside of Hollywood’s five major movie studios, and also video streaming, … [Read more...] about Distributor Going Public Validates Indies
Film Talent Stars as Hucksters
Top Hollywood film talent is increasingly comfortable endorsing products and services, evidenced most recently by Timothée Chalamet and director James Mangold shilling for Lucid electric cars. The actor and the director/writer collaborated for hit theatrical movie “A Complete Unknown,” with both getting Oscar nominations for the Bob Dylan-biographical flick. Above, Chalamet … [Read more...] about Film Talent Stars as Hucksters
‘Lilo’ Propelled by Merchandise Boom
Walt Disney Studios bet that live-action kids film “Lilo & Stitch,” which opened to blockbuster boxoffice, was worth a remake. The original generates a billion dollars a year in licensed merchandise sales stemming from the 2002 all-animated film of the same name. “Last year alone, 'Lilo & Stitch' consumer products generated an estimated $2.5 billion-plus, … [Read more...] about ‘Lilo’ Propelled by Merchandise Boom
Filmmakers Self-Brand With Text Styles
The Best-Picture Oscar winner Sean Baker uses the same curvy type-face for logo-treatment for all his movies: the flowery, handwriting-like Aguafina Script, which graces his “Anora” (pictured above). A Fast Company magazine article notes top filmmakers tend to use the same typefaces for multiple movies, which is a subtle branding exercise. “Wes Anderson has an obsession … [Read more...] about Filmmakers Self-Brand With Text Styles
IWC Logo, Watches Fuel ‘F1’ Film
Swiss luxury wrist-watch maker IWC is plastered across “F1,” capped by its logo prominently seen in the car-racing movie’s key art for marketing. That marketing image is a closeup of “F1” star Brad Pitt wearing a crash helmet with IWC on the chin-bar (image above), which is sprayed across media from TV commercials to film posters. IWC is a longtime brand sponsor for Formula … [Read more...] about IWC Logo, Watches Fuel ‘F1’ Film
Netflix Keeps Original Movies Flowing
Netflix’s large slate of original movies serves as a big marketing lever. The world’s leading streamer with more than 301 million subscribers globally (90 million in U.S./Canada) unveiled its slate of 39 original films for the remaining 11 months of this year. It’s a wide mix of big-budget glitz, medium-budget fare, feature-length documentaries and animation, many with big-name … [Read more...] about Netflix Keeps Original Movies Flowing
Website Anchors Indiana Jones Vid Game
A major video game built around the “Indiana Jones” movies aims to cash in as licensed merchandise and keep the film franchise alive in hearts of consumers. Video game “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle” is from Bethesda MachineGames, which is owned by Xbox maker Microsoft. It's built on the film legacy of the five Indy Jones adventure motion pictures distributed by … [Read more...] about Website Anchors Indiana Jones Vid Game
New Films Exploit Expiring Copyrights
Multiple “Popeye” movies are sailing to cinema, TV and video-game screens as the property’s foundation copyright expires. Expect this to be a trend as intellectual property (IP) created during the early “talking pictures” days get aged out of legal protection. Independent film companies are promoting “Popeye the Slayer Man” (see image below) and “Shiver Me Timbers” (a … [Read more...] about New Films Exploit Expiring Copyrights
Tesla Builds Cinema Diner Charging Station
Tesla is building a showcase vehicle-charging station in Los Angeles that combines cinema and a 24-hour restaurant. “The charging station is part of the electric vehicle industry’s efforts to re-imagine gas stations by turning them into a multi-faceted experience,” wrote Ariel Zilber in the New York Post. The Post capsulized the idea as 1950s movie “‘Grease’ meets ‘The … [Read more...] about Tesla Builds Cinema Diner Charging Station