Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: The Moviemercial - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

JadziaDax · 09-21-2003, 11:56 AM

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: The Moviemercial
From The New York Times
Sunday, September 21, 2003
By Evelyn Nussenbaum

Quote:

People who complain about too much product placement in movies may want to brace themselves. Coming soon, advertisements won't only be in the movies. They will be the movies.

Instead of releasing toys and games tied to a movie, some studios are starting with the product and figuring out the film later.

"Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Haunted Mansion," both based on Disney rides, were the first wave of merchandise-themed pictures. The next, based on toys, is on the way. Movie versions of Hot Wheels, G.I. Joe, Bionicle toys, Super Soaker squirt guns and My Little Pony are all being developed.

The makers of movies and toys are betting that films built around well-known brands will win back customers who have defected to video games and the Internet. The toy industry has another goal: finding a new realm for advertising now that the strength of the Saturday-morning cartoons has been diluted by all-day cartoon channels.

"Kids have so many options in terms of what and when they watch,'' said Jim Wagner, senior vice president for entertainment marketing at Mattel.

Mattel, Hasbro and Lego Toys are responsible, to varying degrees, for these "moviemercials." Lego Toys has a production deal with Miramax to exploit its Bionicle toys (characters whose name springs from the combination of "biological" and "chronicle.") Their first joint venture, a direct-to-DVD film called "Bionicle: Mask of Light," was released last week. They are working on a Bionicles theatrical film for release in 2005 and two more DVD projects.

Hasbro hired the Creative Artists Agency in January to drum up Hasbro-branded movie and television projects. One of the agency's first moves was to negotiate a deal with the movie producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura for a live-action G.I. Joe film. Hasbro, a screenwriter and Mr. di Bonaventura agreed on a story line, and he is pitching the idea to several studios. Separately, Hasbro licensed Super Soakers, My Little Pony and several other brands to Fat Rock Entertainment, a company created last December by a group of former studio executives to produce films based on merchandise. The Super Soakers and My Little Pony movies are scheduled for release in late 2004.

Mattel is testing the waters of feature filmmaking after producing cheaper DVD and Web films based on its Barbie doll. The company, which also makes Hot Wheels, has licensed the brand to Columbia Pictures, which in turn signed up McG, the director of the "Charlie's Angels'' movies.

The deals are a relatively cheap, low-risk way for Mattel and Hasbro to see what the movie business can do for them. They invest little or nothing, sign off on the writers, have veto power over the script and share in any profits. That's quite a turnaround from the days when Coca-Cola had to pay filmmakers for a couple of cans of Coke in an office shot, or when toy makers waited for the go-ahead from studios to start rolling out a product tied to a movie.

"We don't like to make souvenirs of movies anymore," Mr. Wagner of Mattel said. "We need the entertainment to create a brand for us that's long term."

THE movie makers are uncharacteristically circumspect when they discuss their new relationship with the toy business. David Pritchard, chief executive of Fat Rock, talks of "respecting" Hasbro's brands and calls the Super Soaker movie "a kind of product placement.''

Michael D. Eisner, the chief executive of the Walt Disney Company, who has his own brands to leverage, does not have to cater to any toy makers. Although he says the sequel to "Pirates" is the last ride-based movie he plans to make, he has an endless supply if he ever changes his mind.

The filmmakers' urge to start with the goods and fill in the story later is an attempt to revitalize their business. Video games, e-mail and Internet surfing in general are consuming more of moviegoers' time. The average American spent 154 hours last year on the Internet, nearly triple the amount spent four years ago, according to Veronis Suhler Stevenson, a business that offers financial services to media companies. People played video games for 67 hours last year, on average, up 49 percent from four years ago. The average time spent at the movies, meanwhile - 14 hours - is up less than 8 percent since 1998.

"You're looking at an industry that is shrinking,'' said Ken Markman of KMM Enterprises, a movie marketing business in Los Angeles that has worked with major studios.

Some other strategies have already failed. "Opening wide,'' the practice of scheduling movie debuts for as many theaters as possible to generate instant hits, has often backfired, causing attendance to plunge by the second weekend. Sequels, once thought to be safe, are now hit or miss. While "The Matrix Reloaded" was a hit this summer, "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life," did not recover production costs, making only $64.6 million in the United States.

Brand names, the producers figure, will help put movies back on cultural radar screens. "Think of it as prefab housing,'' says Bill Mechanic, who oversaw "Titanic," "Braveheart" and "Boys Don't Cry" when he was chairman and chief executive of 20th Century Fox Films. "It's a way of getting through the marketing clutter."

THEY also risk a backlash. There is a delicate balance between reminding viewers of a beloved childhood experience and making them feel that they have been duped into watching a 90-minute commercial. "You don't want to see the cynical hand of the property owner," said Marc Shmuger, vice chairman of Universal Pictures. Still, audiences have grudgingly accepted 30-second commercials before movies in theaters, giving many producers hope that it is safe to push further.

Merchandise-themed movies are not the only things on their minds. Some envision movies sponsored by advertisers, reminiscent of "Hallmark Hall of Fame" or the old Procter & Gamble soap operas.

Mr. Markman, the movie marketer, says the cross-promotion possibilities are endless: "I can see a movie sequel coming in the form of a video game. It may come in the form of consumer products or a DVD. All of which then feed the market over time for a second movie."

So does this trend have legs? Who knows? Hollywood loves to thoroughly exploit every fad before dumping it: witness the cycles over the years of Westerns, disaster movies and films based on comic-book characters. "In most industries, one is not a trend,'' Mr. Markman said. "In this one, it's a phenomenon." In other words, there may be many more merchandising movies before the concept has been beaten into the ground.

I thought it was bad enough with continual product placement in all the movies (remember the scene from Wayne's World where they exaggerated the product placement). Now our children will be subjected to movies that are nothing but one huge commercial, and our wallets will suffer.

Your opinions?

rodgerd · 09-21-2003, 12:08 PM

Sequels were once thought to be safe? When, the 1960s? As long as I can remember, sequels have been considered hit-or-miss.

This is pretty much how childrens' television has gone; when I grew up there were the odd programs that were part of a total branding/product pitch, but the bulk of kids' shows were made as shows first and foremost. Watching the kids' timeslots on TV now, however, there appear to be few programs that aren't product placement.

The core problems with these are that (a) they mostly suck, since they're made for marketing, not because someone has an interesting idea, and (b) it's part of the aggressive pitching to kids designed to make them bug their parents for crap they don't need.

I like the Scandanavian solution, and wouldn't be sorry to see New Zealand adopt it, where advertising at the under-12s is banned, and shows that are tightly integrated with merchandising (like Pokemon) get junked.

Batman976 · 09-21-2003, 12:23 PM

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... for a second there I thought the article said they were planning a Super Soaker movie.

Oh wait.... excuse me while I bang my head on my desk fourty times.

Derwood · 09-21-2003, 01:35 PM

And this is supposed to surprise me why?

CSflim · 09-21-2003, 02:02 PM

...and Hollywood are wondering why nobody is bothering to go see their movies anymore?
Obviously it is because of Kazaa and DVD burners. Obviously.

Pellaz · 09-21-2003, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CSflim
...and Hollywood are wondering why nobody is bothering to go see their movies anymore?
Obviously it is because of Kazaa and DVD burners. Obviously.

No, it's do to instant text messaging, remember?

CSflim · 09-21-2003, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pellaz
No, it's do to instant text messaging, remember?

phredgreen · 09-21-2003, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JadziaDax
I thought it was bad enough with continual product placement in all the movies (remember the scene from Wayne's World where they exaggerated the product placement). Now our children will be subjected to movies that are nothing but one huge commercial, and our wallets will suffer.

bah. this is nothing new. i remember watching the he man movies, the gi joe movie, the transformers movie, and countless other dreck on the big screen when i was a kid, all blatant advertising vehicles for toy lines... my cousin (girl) was all about the care bears, she ra, and my little pony movies. this is as old as time. nowadays, you see barney, pokemon, and veggie tales all getting prime screen time, and you can bet your ass that there's a whole line of toys waiting at your nearest retailer for your kids to scoop up and experience a complete saturation of marketing bliss. try watching the commercials during saturday morning cartoons. they are milking these little zombies for every cent their parents can shill out.

Mr.Deflok · 09-21-2003, 10:11 PM

This isn't surprising, ever wonder why there are so many creatures, aliens, vehicles and characters in the STAR WARS movies? And ever wonder why George Lucas is so god damn rich? lol

Cynthetiq · 09-22-2003, 08:09 AM

Mac and Me - remember the movie financed by McDonald's?

Licensing is a HUGE cash cow. Grab the brand, control the license, rake in the $$$. If you can ever get a pass to go to the NY Licensing Show... WOW!

Cynthetiq · 09-22-2003, 10:26 AM

here's something that I found from the office...

http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/egpaf

SpongeBob Squarepants Designer items... talk about licensing... BTW ... there is a SBS movie in the works at one time.. I don't konw what happened to it.

rodgerd · 09-22-2003, 11:48 AM

Harley Davidson and The Marlboro Man.

Must rank as the lowest point in Mickey Rourke's career.

johnnymysto · 09-22-2003, 12:18 PM

A Super Soaker movie?????? Who's the bad guy going to be - Drought Man????

RedCometChar · 09-22-2003, 09:48 PM

I would totally go see a Super Soaker movie.

Maybe they'll fill 'em up with Holy Water and fight vampires like the Lost Boys.

laconic1 · 09-23-2003, 08:39 AM

This is just disgusting. Excessive product placement is bad enough, but to make a movie that is one big product placement is ridiculous. And the executives from the entertainment industry genuinely can't figure out why revenues are down. Sheesh

gnl3434 · 09-23-2003, 09:02 AM

as has been said this is nothing new. Companies will do anything to make money. Action figures and the like have been around for as long as I can remember, and bad movies made from bad cartoons have been around for almost as long. As far as why poeple don't go to the movies anymore, most of them are such a load of crap that they aren't worth the $7.00 price of admision.

archer2371 · 09-23-2003, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr.Deflok
This isn't surprising, ever wonder why there are so many creatures, aliens, vehicles and characters in the STAR WARS movies? And ever wonder why George Lucas is so god damn rich? lol

Yeah, Lucas is a genius marketer, I mean, I've watched a whole hell of a lot of movies and then all of a sudden, I'll hear a scream and it will be one of the Stormtrooper screams from the OT. There are just so many Star Wars references that Lucas gets money for it's not funny.

floonine · 09-23-2003, 01:05 PM

Yeah, I'm not very surprised either, except that it seems rather strange to me that movie companies are going to blatantally tell us. I mean, is telling us the truth, that the movie is based on a $20 squirt gun, is that supposed to make us want to see an entire movie for something not worth more than $20?? Weird

Cynthetiq · 09-23-2003, 02:14 PM

don't forget Garbage Pail kids...

that was a winner movie... along with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1-3

cowlick · 09-24-2003, 05:22 PM

These movies are devistating in their marketing prowess. I hear Disney's doors are being beaten down with people attempting to ride Pirates of the Caribean. Well... I mean... I guess it might be true.
And remember 'Jumanji'. The whole movie was based on a board game. Remember how popular that board game became?

Kids will want cool junk and spurn lame junk regardless of how hard the movie moguls try.

heyal256 · 09-24-2003, 07:13 PM

I thought that the reason that most movies were made today was because of the marketing for toys/games/comic books/tv spinoffs/etc. Then again the term "moviemercial" reminds me of the 5 mins (?) of commercials that I see before the previews at any movie that I see in a movie theatre.
Besides that, all movies are great marketing tie-ins with the DVD.

Either way I don't mind the merchandising and stuff as long as the movie is good (rare) and they don't beat you senseless with the product tie-ins (very rare).

09-21-2003, 12:23 PM	#3 (permalink)
Batman976 is you wicked? Location: I live in a giant bucket.	HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... for a second there I thought the article said they were planning a Super Soaker movie. Oh wait.... excuse me while I bang my head on my desk fourty times. __________________ The following statement is true. The preceding statement was false.

09-21-2003, 01:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
Derwood Who You Crappin? Location: Everywhere and Nowhere	And this is supposed to surprise me why? __________________ "You can't shoot a country until it becomes a democracy." - Willravel

09-21-2003, 02:02 PM	#5 (permalink)
CSflim Sky Piercer Location: Ireland	...and Hollywood are wondering why nobody is bothering to go see their movies anymore? Obviously it is because of Kazaa and DVD burners. Obviously. __________________

09-22-2003, 08:09 AM	#10 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	Mac and Me - remember the movie financed by McDonald's? Licensing is a HUGE cash cow. Grab the brand, control the license, rake in the $$$. If you can ever get a pass to go to the NY Licensing Show... WOW! __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!

09-22-2003, 10:26 AM	#11 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	here's something that I found from the office... http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/egpaf SpongeBob Squarepants Designer items... talk about licensing... BTW ... there is a SBS movie in the works at one time.. I don't konw what happened to it. __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!

09-21-2003, 12:08 PM	#2 (permalink)
rodgerd Psycho Location: Wellington, New Zealand	Sequels were once thought to be safe? When, the 1960s? As long as I can remember, sequels have been considered hit-or-miss. This is pretty much how childrens' television has gone; when I grew up there were the odd programs that were part of a total branding/product pitch, but the bulk of kids' shows were made as shows first and foremost. Watching the kids' timeslots on TV now, however, there appear to be few programs that aren't product placement. The core problems with these are that (a) they mostly suck, since they're made for marketing, not because someone has an interesting idea, and (b) it's part of the aggressive pitching to kids designed to make them bug their parents for crap they don't need. I like the Scandanavian solution, and wouldn't be sorry to see New Zealand adopt it, where advertising at the under-12s is banned, and shows that are tightly integrated with merchandising (like Pokemon) get junked.

09-21-2003, 10:11 PM	#9 (permalink)
Mr.Deflok Blood + Fire Location: New Zealand	This isn't surprising, ever wonder why there are so many creatures, aliens, vehicles and characters in the STAR WARS movies? And ever wonder why George Lucas is so god damn rich? lol

09-22-2003, 11:48 AM	#12 (permalink)
rodgerd Psycho Location: Wellington, New Zealand	The king of product placement movies Harley Davidson and The Marlboro Man. Must rank as the lowest point in Mickey Rourke's career.

09-22-2003, 12:18 PM	#13 (permalink)
johnnymysto Overreactor Location: South Ca'lina	A Super Soaker movie?????? Who's the bad guy going to be - Drought Man???? __________________ "I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request." - Capt. Barbossa

09-22-2003, 09:48 PM	#14 (permalink)
RedCometChar Not Brand Ecch! Location: New Orleans	I would totally go see a Super Soaker movie. Maybe they'll fill 'em up with Holy Water and fight vampires like the Lost Boys. __________________ Killing that robot makes me want to go home.

09-23-2003, 08:39 AM	#15 (permalink)
laconic1 Junkie	This is just disgusting. Excessive product placement is bad enough, but to make a movie that is one big product placement is ridiculous. And the executives from the entertainment industry genuinely can't figure out why revenues are down. Sheesh

09-23-2003, 09:02 AM	#16 (permalink)
gnl3434 Upright	as has been said this is nothing new. Companies will do anything to make money. Action figures and the like have been around for as long as I can remember, and bad movies made from bad cartoons have been around for almost as long. As far as why poeple don't go to the movies anymore, most of them are such a load of crap that they aren't worth the $7.00 price of admision.

09-23-2003, 01:05 PM	#18 (permalink)
floonine Insane Location: Silicon Valley, Utah	Yeah, I'm not very surprised either, except that it seems rather strange to me that movie companies are going to blatantally tell us. I mean, is telling us the truth, that the movie is based on a $20 squirt gun, is that supposed to make us want to see an entire movie for something not worth more than $20?? Weird __________________ Political arguments do not exist, after all, for people to believe in them, rather they serve as a common, agreed-upon excuse. Foolish people who take them in earnest sooner or later discover inconsistencies in them, begin to protest and finish finally and infamously as heretics.

09-23-2003, 02:14 PM	#19 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	don't forget Garbage Pail kids... that was a winner movie... along with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1-3 __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!

09-24-2003, 05:22 PM	#20 (permalink)
cowlick Insane Location: Seattle	These movies are devistating in their marketing prowess. I hear Disney's doors are being beaten down with people attempting to ride Pirates of the Caribean. Well... I mean... I guess it might be true. And remember 'Jumanji'. The whole movie was based on a board game. Remember how popular that board game became? Kids will want cool junk and spurn lame junk regardless of how hard the movie moguls try. __________________ "It's a long story," says I, and let him up.

09-24-2003, 07:13 PM	#21 (permalink)
heyal256 Not so great lurker Location: NY	I thought that the reason that most movies were made today was because of the marketing for toys/games/comic books/tv spinoffs/etc. Then again the term "moviemercial" reminds me of the 5 mins (?) of commercials that I see before the previews at any movie that I see in a movie theatre. Besides that, all movies are great marketing tie-ins with the DVD. Either way I don't mind the merchandising and stuff as long as the movie is good (rare) and they don't beat you senseless with the product tie-ins (very rare).