Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Dolby & DTS marketing items

This is topic Dolby & DTS marketing items in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Adam Lautenbach (Member # 5140) on 03-30-2009, 11:37 AM:

Does Dolby & DTS still send out free promomational items including posters,trailers, and plaques? I know this has been discussed before, but that was some time ago and I would like some current info.
The thing I really want are plaques to put outside our theater entrances. Does anyone have these? I've seen Dolby's order form about promotional kits, but does that order form still work? Has anyone used that recently with results?
Thanks

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 03-30-2009, 11:57 AM:

DTS sent me some posters and trailers last year. [thumbsup]

I know that Dolby trailers are still available, though I have had difficulty in ordering them (not sure on posters).

I have not seen wall plaques for either in a while, however.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-30-2009, 05:48 PM:

I tried ordering some trailers and marquee slides using their 'free order form' a few years ago but never did get anything. We received 5 copies of the "train" trailer in flat and scope when we got our system and we're still using those. It would be nice to get something different though.

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 03-30-2009, 06:53 PM:

Mike, try having your dealer order the Dolby trailers and stuff..might work a bit better through them,and it should still be free.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-30-2009, 07:09 PM:

I did try that, but (at least a year or 2 ago) it wasn't free, unfortunately. I like the Dolby, but not enough to pay to promote it!

Posted by Jeremy Weigel (Member # 4208) on 03-30-2009, 08:40 PM:

I've had no problem ordering materials using Dolby's form. In fact, I ordered new kits last summer with their "City Redux" trailers (I don't think they have the wall plaques any longer). I think I have some extra Dolby posters, buttons, and 10" Win-Zip Dolby Digital Marque signs. I can check when I go in tomorrow evening.

As far as DTS materials, I went through our equipment dealer to order those.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-30-2009, 08:45 PM:

I am about to send away for some Dolby Digital marketing material now since all of our auditoriums are 100% Dolby product with digital in each house. I'll report back on my success if I remember.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 03-30-2009, 09:30 PM:

I've never had any problems ordering DTS material...it's more of a 'How much would you like?' kind of thing. It arrives here in Sydney within the week. [thumbsup]

I've never had any success ordering Dolby stuff on the other hand. [thumbsdown]

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 03-30-2009, 09:43 PM:

Dolby material has a cost when ordered through a dealer. You can call Dolby directly and get many of these same materials for free. San Francisco office, ask for Cinema Sales. Louis

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 03-30-2009, 10:18 PM:

Hi Louis

Do you per chance have an email for them? You can PM me if you'd prefer.

Thanks

John

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 03-31-2009, 12:45 AM:

As much as I like some of the old trailers, posters and other promotional items -nearly all of that stuff is terribly out of date. The logos are no good. The material is old. The stuff basically needs to be shit-canned and replaced -kind of like what most businesses in other industries do on a fairly frequent basis.

Both Dolby and DTS seriously need to revamp their efforts. That especially means getting the current versions of their logos out into the marketplace.

Oddly, I hardly see anything of the current Dolby and DTS logos being used in theatrical marketing. The old logos are still used for the most part on movie posters and all sorts of other movie marketing materials. The only area where I see current Dolby and DTS logos: on the back of a few Blu-ray discs.

Both of those companies need to be doing a better job of brand identity management. That means kicking some ass in a few areas.

I get the feeling various marketing outfits tasked with the job of creating movie posters, end credit runs and such are just grabbing whatever old-assed logo happens to be present on the good old hard disc drive rather than being diligent and checking to see if they have up to date "assets."

I mean look at the freaking white square backgrounds behind those format logos on certain Dreamworks animation releases. I seriously want to slap the shit out of someone for that crap-tastic use of graphics. Basically, at least a few people are sleep walking through their jobs. They don't give a shit.

Hell, I won't be surprised if I'm watching some movie on HBO released only a couple years ago that pulls that Dolby "tri" logo out of the vault.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 03-31-2009, 12:51 AM:

Bobby, the new Dolby logos are SHIT. Would you actually rather see those?

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 03-31-2009, 09:32 AM:

I don't like Dolby's new logo scheme, and could go into specifics on a number of negative points. I don't know what that swirling icon in the new DTS logo is supposed to symbolize; it just looks like a superfluous element. I really hate how DTS has jacked around with the "dts" letters -the Letraset Dolmen type style doesn't need any fixing.

Still, like them or not, those are the current logos and they should be the only versions anyone sees on new movie posters, end credits for new movies and home video packaging for newly released DVDs and Blu-ray discs.

In my job I absolutely have to use the most current logos for a given business, even if a newly updated company logo is just plain terrible. It's not my place to decide what version gets used because I don't own that business or its trademark.

Perhaps if Dolby and DTS get enough negative feedback on their current brand schemes they'll do something to change them. It has happened in the past.
[Wink]