The furor over the impending decision to plaster 'Spider-Man 2' logos over bases one through three at a series of interleague baseball games has set message boards, dailies and trades alight with discussion, debate and disgust.
One of the questions up for debate was whether MLB should get with the times versus the counterpoint of messing with a sacred tradition. The former camp (let's call it the pragmatists) essentially argues that advertising has encroached on almost every other facet of baseball -- and other games -- so why not make a play for the blank canvases of uniforms and plates. The latter camp (the purists) seems to draw the line at the diamond, and will fight to the death for the right to maintain the dignity and integrity of America's pastime.
I could elaborate on the baseball angle of this very intriguing case in marketing's tormented life cycle. I would most likely call out inconsistencies associated with what is considered acceptable and what is considered blasphemous. I would talk about the All-Star game or the Yankees' little sojourn to the east (and I'm not referring to the Bronx) to kick off the season -- and the effect it had on poor Moose Mussina.
I possibly would argue that other sports such as soccer (the world's number one sport) have been able to seamlessly integrate advertising (successfully I might add) into uniforms, fields and other canvases which some might feel turn 'Fields of Dreams' into Nightmares of Heresy.
But I won't.
I could also spend a considerable amount of time discussing the increasing clutter, proliferation and fragmentation of media alternatives and the increasing challenge of being able to get noticed in a world governed by an empowered and skeptical consumer.
I might put forward that on one hand, it is incumbent upon marketing and media professionals to fully explore new ways of reaching, connecting and engaging -- particularly with younger audiences -- whereas on the other hand, stepping over a line could create a seemingly endless vicious cycle of backlash (can you say "boob?").
But again, I won't.
Instead I'm going to choose to tell you a little tale about an eight-legged arachnid that broke the box office record for opening weekend sales with a whopping $114,844,116 in receipts -- more than Yoda, Gollum, Jesus, Harry Potter or the Hulk. How's that for esteemed company?
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|
| OPENING WEEKENDS |
Spider-Man |
$114,844,116 |
| JANUARY |
Star Wars - S.E. |
$35,906,661 |
| FEBRUARY |
Passion of the Christ |
$83,848,082 |
| MARCH |
Ice Age |
$46,312,454 |
| APRIL |
Anger Management |
$42,220,847 |
| MAY |
Spider-Man |
$114,844,116 |
| JUNE |
Hulk |
$62,128,420 |
| JULY |
Goldmember |
$73,071,188 |
| AUGUST |
Rush Hour 2 |
$67,408,222 |
| SEPTEMBER |
Sweet Home Alabama |
$35,648,740 |
| OCTOBER |
Scary Movie 3 |
$48,113,770 |
| NOVEMBER |
Harry Potter |
$90,294,621 |
| DECEMBER |
Return of the King |
$72,629,713 | |
|
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I love the story of Spider-Man. It's the story of a movie that, quite frankly, should never have sniffed the kind of money it ended up earning. It wasn't the first superhero flick, and it certainly wasn't going to be the last. And yet, it swept away its competition in a Titanic-like effort.
I'd like to believe the Web played a major role in this movie's success (you can take that pun as unintended). Not only was 'Spider-Man' the No. 1 movie in opening weekend box office receipts, it was also the movie with the highest number of online advertising impressions allocated to it. Coincidence?
The strategy of distributing and embedding free creative to the multitude of fan sites on the Web was nothing short of genius (and became a model for future successes, like 'Lord of the Rings'). The studio's awareness of the legions of passionate influencers and fans out there made for the barter deal of the century. Fans wanted display advertising (there's a first), trailers and information about the upcoming release -- and the studio gave it to them (sounds like a Jet Blue commercial).
Which brings us to 'Spider-Man 2.' Who in their right mind would want to be tasked with the assignment of topping its predecessor? Forget topping -- try halving opening weekend sales, for starters -- which if achieved, would beat January, March, April, September and October records.
Enter, on paper, the lamest attempt in history -- putting logos on bases. That is a surefire way to invoke the right brain emotion deemed essential in order for advertising to do its hypnotic mating dance of persuasion. Not.
What seemed like a yawn on paper became an overnight storm in a teacup, as 79.4 percent of ESPN's 45,000 respondents voiced their rapid disapproval of the plan to put a six-by-six inch 'Spider-Man 2' logo on three out of four bases.
Here's another stat: 15 stadia over a three-day period = 45 games between June 11 and 13. That's 45 out of a season total of 2,429, coming in at a whopping 1.85 percent.
On paper, the value of these impressions wasn't very compelling. But in reality, this was arguably one of the shrewdest media placements and strategies deployed in recent times. I contend that whoever was responsible for this heinous act had no intention whatsoever of going through with it. I hold that the outcome (uproar, rebellion, outcry) was a sure thing -- a racing certainty if you will. I maintain that the goal here was always to get the word out that 'Spider-Man 2' was swinging back to theatres in the most impactful and memorable way possible.
This was an exercise in awareness that achieved Super Bowl like proportions. The risk factor here boiled down to a calculated gamble on go or no-go decisions to attend the movie's theatre release. I, for one, don't see people en masse boycotting Spidey's follow-up foray because he was caught stealing.
Ultimately, we'll see on July 2 whether this pinch was a hit or not. My bet is that Austin's Power will be defeated by the eight-legged freak known as media strategy.
It's ironic that most (outraged) fans, who might not necessarily have been able to spot the difference between Derek Jeter and Tobey McGuire all the way up from the nosebleed seats, would most likely have been able to ultimately answer the age-old riddle: who's on first…and second…and third.
