Times when you felt poor marketing hindered a film's business

[CloneWars]

This might sound strange, but I feel Avatar was poorly marketed. The only reason it did so well was the pre-trailer hype from all the Hollywood insiders like Spielberg saying it was the second coming of cinema plus the curiosity factor of 3D. First trailer was 4 months before release and was shitty. 2nd trailer was awesome but only two months prior to release. Now, maybe Fox had the right marketing idea. Obviously, it made $2.7B, but I felt that Fox could have done better. I guess they felt all the pre-hype was strong enough for it. Makes me wonder if VII could try a similar approach with no trailer until 4 moths before release. That would be insane.

[Jose Gabriel Alvarez]

Yes. It is also a very shitty trailer for the GA.

Really?? The trailer got applause when I saw it in front of Smaug.

[K1stpierre]

The first movie that comes to mind to me is The Island. That was a really great movie, one of my favs (I'm a sci-fi geek). However, the trailers and marketing of this was not very good at all. From the trailers, you never got a sense what the movie was about or any reason to see it. It's such a shame that the movie didn't do better at the box office, to me this is one of Bay's best movies.

[Shaldun]

This might sound strange, but I feel Avatar was poorly marketed. The only reason it did so well was the pre-trailer hype from all the Hollywood insiders like Spielberg saying it was the second coming of cinema plus the curiosity factor of 3D. First trailer was 4 months before release and was shitty. 2nd trailer was awesome but only two months prior to release. Now, maybe Fox had the right marketing idea. Obviously, it made $2.7B, but I felt that Fox could have done better. I guess they felt all the pre-hype was strong enough for it. Makes me wonder if VII could try a similar approach with no trailer until 4 moths before release. That would be insane.

That would make us insane 

 

 

Oh wait 2 distributors for Interstellar. Does that means that each one make his own campaign ? So more poster, trailers and everything (and not a internationnal trailer with 20 sec different from a DOM trailer ...) ? Cool 

[kowhite]

The marketing was very "look at this shit it's awesome". While the film isn't perfect (I still think its amazing), it has (at least IMO) much more substance than that. 

 

I'm going to have to disagree with you there.  Granted, outside the action scenes, I think the rest of the film is crappy melodrama, so it's a hard concept for me to grasp that people think the marketing should've focused on that.  The only good thing about this film was awesome robot/monster fights...that's what the marketing showed. 

 

I mean, what exactly should the marketing have shown that they weren't already doing?  And who would've been drawn to the film that wasn't already? 

[The Panda]

Star Trek: Into Darkness

- not telling who Cumberbatch is playing

- too much Cumberbatch in promos on top of that

- too little Spock in promos

- uninspired marketing (inception poster + dark night poster = into darkness poster)

source http://www.mediastinger.com/star-trek-into-darkness-poster-lights-up-batman/

 

this is off thread but cannot keep it inside...

bad horrible scheduling : Monsters University

It's 2nd weekend drop of 44%(better than Brave and Wall-e. Same as Cars.) was lower than 3rd(57%), 4th(46%) and 5th(52%) weekends as DM2 crushed it. Worse multiplier for Pixar apart from Cars 2. Could have come early June(June 7th instead of June 21st) like Cars and gotten 4 whole weeks before DM2. Was a 300m+ film after OW, 2nd weekend drop and reception.

 

I agree, but think maybe MU would have suited well with the Memorial day or post memorial day spot.

[Fancyarcher]

I'm going to have to disagree with you there.  Granted, outside the action scenes, I think the rest of the film is crappy melodrama, so it's a hard concept for me to grasp that people think the marketing should've focused on that.  The only good thing about this film was awesome robot/monster fights...that's what the marketing showed. 

 

I mean, what exactly should the marketing have shown that they weren't already doing?  And who would've been drawn to the film that wasn't already? 

 

Maybe a little more human interaction. 

 

Besides I loved it, so I disagree with you regardless. The robot fights weren't the only thing good about the film. 

Edited January 28, 2014 by Fancyarcher

[John Marston]

I'm going to have to disagree with you there. Granted, outside the action scenes, I think the rest of the film is crappy melodrama, so it's a hard concept for me to grasp that people think the marketing should've focused on that. The only good thing about this film was awesome robot/monster fights...that's what the marketing showed. I mean, what exactly should the marketing have shown that they weren't already doing? And who would've been drawn to the film that wasn't already?

Exactly. The human cast was dull as shit and the actors except Elba were terrible. The movie was fucked from the beginning due to that. Maybe a big star might have helped

[Fancyarcher]

Exactly. The human cast was dull as shit and the actors except Elba were terrible. The movie was fucked from the beginning due to that. Maybe a big star might have helped

 

Definitely not Tom Cruise though. 

 

Also I kinda disagree, most of the cast was quite fine / good IMO (Charlie Hunnam was okay though). 

Edited January 28, 2014 by Fancyarcher

[kowhite]

Definitely not Tom Cruise though. 

 

Also I kinda disagree, most of the cast was quite fine / good IMO (Charlie Hunnam was okay though). 

 

Do you think mainstream audiences would've taken to the cast and human drama had the marketing been more about that though?

 

I'm not sure.  Not to discount your opinion, but I'm not sure people in general would react much differently than me.

[Fancyarcher]

Do you think mainstream audiences would've taken to the cast and human drama had the marketing been more about that though?

 

I'm not sure.  Not to discount your opinion, but I'm not sure people in general would react much differently than me.

 

No idea. I'm not a mindreader. 

 

I think it could have made a little more though. 

[kowhite]

No idea. I'm not a mindreader. 

 

I think it could have made a little more though. 

 

That's too bad, mindreading is awesome.

[RobinHood26]

Jack Ryan

[lab276]

I agree, but think maybe MU would have suited well with the Memorial day or post memorial day spot.

Not Memorial Day. And what's with the obsession for early summer? Why not late July?

[Fancyarcher]

That's too bad, mindreading is awesome.

 

Reading into the future is even more awesome. 

Edited January 28, 2014 by Fancyarcher

[Hiccup]

2011 List

 

Kung fu Panda 2, Rango, Sucker Punch, Red Riding Hood, The Adventures of Tintin, Happy Feet 2, and Scream 4

 

2012 List

 

John Carter, Rise of the Guardians, Dark Shadows, and American Reunion.

 

2013 List

 

Epic, White House Down, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Walking with Dinosaurs, Monsters University, and Beautiful Creatures

Edited January 28, 2014 by Hiccup

[Hiccup]

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus.

 

That film had no chance just Cloud Atlas. 

[MovieMan89]

This might sound strange, but I feel Avatar was poorly marketed. The only reason it did so well was the pre-trailer hype from all the Hollywood insiders like Spielberg saying it was the second coming of cinema plus the curiosity factor of 3D. First trailer was 4 months before release and was shitty. 2nd trailer was awesome but only two months prior to release. Now, maybe Fox had the right marketing idea. Obviously, it made $2.7B, but I felt that Fox could have done better. I guess they felt all the pre-hype was strong enough for it. Makes me wonder if VII could try a similar approach with no trailer until 4 moths before release. That would be insane.

The first teaser for Avatar was meh, but I think all the subsequent trailers/spots did an excellent job selling it. Also I think the Avatar Day thing where they showed about 15 mins of the film in a special Imax 3d screening that summer before was a great way to start early hype. I was telling everybody I knew how blown away I was by the Imax teaser and how awesome the 3D was.

Edited January 28, 2014 by MovieMan89

[John Marston]

a lot of people feel this about Edge of Tomorrow. Though it is tough to market

 

 

 

I certainly would add How To TRain Your Dragon 2. The first trailer was great but everything else made it look bland and uneventful

[dxmatrixdt]

The Adventures of Pluto Nash.  Jack the Giant Slayer.  Battleship.  Grudge Match.  47 Ronin.  Transcendence.