Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: What is the Craziest Marketing Strategy you have ever seen (Movie theaters only)

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Posted by Michael Dolan (Member # 4808) on 06-10-2008, 02:32 PM:

Alot of movie theaters come up with some pretty insane marketing strategies some of them work and some of the flop.

What are some pretty crazy ones you've seen and did it Hop or Flop?

Mine would been at Deerfield Cinema 5 in Florida. For the release of 8 Mile. The owner decided to put together a freestyle rap competition everynight for the last show. Winner would get 5 free passes. I also cost I think $5 per person that entered. It went off great. We have wanna be rappers coming all the way from Miamia and West palm beach just to freestyle. I thought it wouldn't do goos at all but boy was I wrong.

Posted by Christopher Crouch (Member # 3784) on 06-11-2008, 05:25 AM:

I had a GM that attempted a petting zoo in the lobby as part of a movie promotion. Needless to say, it was a big flop (not to mention an unbelievably stupid idea).

Another flop; worked at a theatre that tried a "singles mixer". The idea was to have singles show up at a specific time, recieve nametags, and mingle/meet with other singles (identified via their nametags). Ended up with a handful of lonely guys standing around in the lobby, wearing nametags.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-11-2008, 11:09 AM:

For the movie "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas" we had all our concession girls dress up as dancehall girls (amazingly they agreed to do it) and we put a few hay bales in the lobby along with a bunch of other "farm/country" accessories borrowed from one of the girls who lived in the country.

The costumes idea was OK, but the hay from the bales got all over the place, and was stuck in the carpet for days. Did it increase attendance at the movie? I doubt it, unless people came to look at the girls!

For the movie "Cocktail" we redecorated the concession area as a bar. My grandfather owned a bar at the time, so we borrowed a bunch of bottles of booze from him, put mirrors on the back wall of the concession, put neon "beer signs" around, had a "shake a day" for a free popcorn, and lowered the light levels in the lobby. Did it increase attendance? No, but it did confuse people and make them think we were serving liquor. We DID NOT have the concession people juggle the cups and lids and stuff.

We've done a lot of other things over the years but those are my two goofiest ideas.

Posted by Michael Dolan (Member # 4808) on 06-11-2008, 12:24 PM:

Here was a really dumb idea on my behalf
It was my first summer as a GM at a theater in south florida. To attract some extra summer camps i decided to make one day where they got instead of popcorn and Soda they would recieve ICE CREAM and SLUSHIES. [uhoh]

That was the dumbest thing I had ever done. It did attract more camps about 4 more then normal wich actually made things worse lets picture this 795 kids ages 3-16 in 4 theaters with slushies and melting ice cream.

Can you say 1-800-service master. The carpet was sticky forever it stunk in the theaters and took us all day to get it cleaned looking somewhat decent. Yeah my staff never let me live that down. [thumbsdown]

Posted by Paul Goulet (Member # 297) on 06-11-2008, 01:21 PM:

Mike's post reminded me of one we did when "BABE" (the pig movie) came out, we set up a a "pig pen" in the lobby and Bud Orton brought one of his pigs from his farm over to put in the lobby..I don't think it brought many more people in for the movie, but I KNOW we never got that smell out of the lobby!

Posted by Edwin Schwing (Member # 1270) on 06-12-2008, 01:11 AM:

I have a question on this subject......

Do radio or tv spots really send people to "your" theatre or do they just give people free movie tickets or free stuff.

Are in lobby promotions the way to go or is it through the channels listed above?

E

I misspelled the word "are" Sorry!

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 06-12-2008, 01:54 PM:

quote: Paul Goulet
Bud Orton brought one of his pigs from his farm over to put in the lobby

I am sure that having animals (especially farm animals) would get you into big trouble with the health department, or maybe even get you shut down!

Posted by Chad Souder (Member # 343) on 06-12-2008, 07:54 PM:

quote:
I am sure that having animals (especially farm animals) would get you into big trouble with the health department, or maybe even get you shut down!

No, it shouldn't. We've had animals from our local Humane Society in our lobby on several occasions for movie tie-ins and we've never had any issues with the health department. Just because you have an animal inside doesn't mean you're flinging its poo into the popping oil. We've actually had a couple pets adopted because of it, too.

Posted by Paul Goulet (Member # 297) on 06-12-2008, 08:21 PM:

quote:
I am sure that having animals (especially farm animals) would get you into big trouble with the health department, or maybe even get you shut down!

You obviously didn't know Bud Orton..He only did things one way:
HIS way...

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 06-12-2008, 10:07 PM:

Actually... I *DID* know Bud Orton but thats beside the point.

As far as the health departments in the cities and towns in Mass that I have managed theatres in (Salem,Danvers,Cambridge,Boston) NO animals except seeing eye dogs were allowed in the building. A customer once complained to the Cambridge health dept. that they saw a lady with a small dog in her pocket book, and we got a visit from an inspector and almost shut down.

Posted by Robert LaValley (Member # 4319) on 06-13-2008, 03:26 AM:

local porn theatre had a kids night. [Eek!]

ahahahah I'm kidding truely. but you have to admit it would have been the craziest marketing you have seen in a movie theatre though.

Posted by Joe Tommassello (Member # 4632) on 06-13-2008, 08:11 AM:

I have a "Babe" one too - but the marketing guy shot it down. We were showing "Babe" a couple of mornings for Summer Movie Camp and I had the brilliant idea of bringing in a scrapple vendor and having all the staff wear t-shirts that read "If you liked Babe in the movies you'll love him on your plate!" We actually made a few shirts. The illustration had the familiar picture of Babe from the movie poster, a big "equals" sign and a package of scrapple. Yum.

Posted by Paul Goulet (Member # 297) on 06-13-2008, 08:17 AM:

quote: Sean McKinnon
Actually... I *DID* know Bud Orton but thats beside the point.

Sean, you need to take things less personally. I meant that Bud only does things his way. But seeing you brought it up, did you know Bud from your short stay at Triboro, or when you were at NCS?

Posted by Robert Harrison (Member # 3202) on 06-15-2008, 11:02 AM:

Way back in early 1974, it was rumored that there was a shortage of toilet paper. The local drive-in theater decided to have a promotion wherein they gave away rolls of TP to the customers. It wasn't the good stuff, either. I believe it was from the Don company. They purchased 40 cases of the stuff!

The Mr. Irving mentioned was Irving Gandel, one of the owners, who resided in Florida at the time.

The promotion actually began the previous week, but was not mentioned in the ads. Instead, they put the same bit about Mr. Irving squeezing the tissue, etc. on the road sign. After all that, they only had room to put VALACHI PAPERS PLUS TWO BIG HITS in smaller letters on the bottom.

This was a "fill-in" show and the TWO BIG HITS were "Doctors' Wives" and "The Love Machine," if I recall correctly.

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 06-16-2008, 09:59 AM:

Here too, no animals except seeing eye dogs are allowed in any establishment that prepares or serves food. The hay bales would be prohibited by fire laws

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 06-16-2008, 10:20 AM:

I wasn't taking it personally paul, lol. I guess I have a strange sense of humor sometimes and people take it the wrong way. I knew Bud Orton from when I worked at the Tri-Boro. I agree with you though, it was def his way or no way! I remember I moved one of the platters there slightly because the film was riding up on the flange of one of the rollers a little. The next time he came in he noticed it right away! (I think he sensed it from the lobby! [Smile]

) He was none too happy that I had moved it! I had maybe moved it less than 1/2 an inch and he knew it! One thing he was, was very observant and had a photographic memory! He was a good guy though.

Posted by Mike Kilianski (Member # 3747) on 06-22-2008, 01:06 AM:

A former GM would go as far as printing up 100's of flyers promoting usually a midnight show. Usually he would give them to a few of the high school kids to distribute while at school. Worked pretty well but it really depended on the movie.

Also a local first run independent theater runs all shows $6. That is pretty crazy where all other prices are at $10+...