October
7
Disney Uses IMDB Quotes as Blurbs
I am shocked, shocked! Disney U.K. actually used IMDB fan comments in newspaper quote ads for the holocaust drama The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, a movie that has positive enough advance buzz to warrant earning some decent professional reviews. U.K. critics are in a tizzy over this and I don't blame them.
One fashionable theory about the younger generation holds that they don't care what critics and people in authority think, and prefer to hear from their own peers about what is cool. In my researches into young moviegoer behavior, I have determined that while they do learn about movies from browsing on the Internet, many of them also check Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic to see what crickets think.
It's one thing to hear WOM from your pals on Facebook and another from complete strangers blogging at IMDB. And this from a culture where newspapers--and critics-- are still alive and well!
UPDATE: According to Daniel Battsek of Miramax Films, which is Disney's specialty distrib releasing The Boy in the Striped Pajamas stateside, in the movie's fourth week of release in the U.K., the pic went up 12 % (which rarely happens), and inspired the ad people to include some IMDB quotes to showcase some of the positive Web chatter. We said, "Let's get the WOM to speak for itself," says Battsek. Disney U.K. started out with conventional review quotes, of which there was no shortage.
Well, I guess that makes more sense.
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wow. did not see that one coming. that's some micky mouse advertising if i ever saw it. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Alan | October 07, 2008 at 02:54 PM
all the published research indicates young are very interested in friends and family views across arts categories. significant portion (between 25 and 50% depending on demo and culture category)indicate that they prefer recommendations from friends and family over those of professional critics.
Posted by: arrose | October 07, 2008 at 06:33 PM
It should be noted that Disney UK quoted IMDb users in a second campaign after the first one which did actually use quotes from conventional critics.
Although they seem to be confusing the term 'bloggers' with users of IMDb message boards (and I think there is a distinction), the more interesting point is how ill-informed some of the media reaction was to this.
Despite that, I think it does raise some interesting questions about marketing films and the role of the critic.
I wrote a longer piece on it here: http://www.filmdetail.com/archives/2008/10/05/disney-ad-campaign-for-the-boy-in-the-striped-pyjamas-raises-important-questions/
Posted by: filmdetail | October 08, 2008 at 01:18 PM
Studios have been doing this with AICN comments for many years already...
Posted by: David Poland | October 08, 2008 at 01:22 PM