Hairspray may need better marketing

[tazber]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 6:50pm

I for one am crazy excited to see this movie.
According to an EW poll however, I am in the minority.

https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20035285_20035331_20036989_4,00.html

Maybe they need to change the focus a bit and push some other aspects of the film. The teaser is cute, but not enticing, IMO.


btw-click on "vote" to see the stats.

Updated On: 4/27/07 at 06:50 PM

[deadparrot]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 7:18pm

The teaser that has been airing on TV (at least, the only one I've seen) doesn't really give a good indication of the storyline. It seems to be geared more toward advertising the cast than the movie.

[TVBoy]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 7:48pm

I was very disappointed in the trailer I saw online. You gotta spend money to make money. Hopefully they'll invest more and jazz up the trailer some. May sweeps started Thursday (4/26)and runs until May 23rd. Now is the time to saturate the airwaves with Hairspray awesomeness.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 8:03pm

Wow, I'm really shocked to see this. It looks to me like EW is just stirring things up for the sake of stirring things up.

They have to do a feature on which movies they think are going to bomb this summer, and the movie with a man dressed up as a woman is the obvious easy target. It's total below the belt trash talk. This movie has the makings of a hit.

The trailer THRILLS me, and my personal opinions aside, I always try to view these things from a mainstream perspective. This film appeals to every demographic and the trailer displays that, not to mention that inclusiveness is the main theme of the film.

I agree that they need to mix it up with more variations on trailers, which we will hopefully see soon.

[TVBoy]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 8:11pm

Wanna Be A Foster... I'm curious about your post. I love the Broadway version of "Hairspray" and am very excited about the film. I've shown the trailer to several of my friends, all of whom enjoy different genres of movies, and most reply with, "Oh, okay." What in this trailer thrills you?

As to it appealing to all demographics, I disagree. No movie does that. What's in this for the "Snakes on a Plane" crowd?

Please don't think I'm being critical, I'm just interested in your opinion.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 8:37pm

What thrills me about the trailer is seeing a variety of well-liked movie stars (each appreciated by different demographics - see below) displaying talents that are not run-of-the-mill for them. The music and dancing is very energizing and gives the viewer a sense of immediacy and something very animated to keep in the front of their mind.

Stars *are* the selling point for mainstream moviegoers. Period. Unless the film at hand is a sequel or part of a series, then moviegoers decide on which movies to see based on who is starring in them.

The film is filled with stars that appeal to the youth demographic (Amanda Bynes, Zac Efron, Elijah Kelly), the 20s-30s crowd (James Marsden, Queen Latifah), and the middle/elder-aged married crowd (Michelle Pfeiffer, Allison Janney, John Travolta, Christopher Walken). Queen Latifah also appeals to those who used to follow her as a rap star, as well as those who see her as a movie star. Something about seeing a big black lady deliver one-liners, taking hold of scene after scene and singing her heart out is very empowering to men and women of all ages and races, and I think that aspect is a big draw for this film. Not to mention that Latifah and Elijah Kelly portraying *likable* characters offers a change of scenery to the entire African-American demographic, which is used to black actors playing villains and enemies in Hollywood.

[rubyslippersxo]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 8:40pm

It's hard for me to look at the trailer from a mainstream perspective. I'm just so excited about the film, because I love the Hairspray OBCR and have never gotten the chance to see the show. BUT I do agree that they're focusing way too much on the names. They hardly showed any plot, just a bunch of names followed by quick shots of the actors.

As for that EW article, that's kind of... dumb. I don't get why they want you to vote for what you think is going to be the biggest flop. But that's just me.

[Craig]

Posted: 4/27/07 at 9:07pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=17651

is the trailer

there was a previous "teaser" - that only had the names..

Having seen 20+ minutes so far, I can assure you, it will be a thrilling movie to watch...

And the Hairspray marketing engine hasn't even really started - to suggest they need "better" marketing is just silly.

[the_gambler3]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 4:22am

What a lame idea. They "provide" you with 4 choices for "Season Winner" i.e. you CAN'T vote for Hairspray in that section, nor can you vote for it in comedy! As far as the bomb poll, Hairspray is by far the most recognizable title (I've never even heard of the other two films) plus JT's face so it seems instinctual to vote for it.

The John Travolta article was three tiny paragraphs ripped from other press releases. What's that about?

On the other hand, I wonder if the producers of Shrek 3 are boohooing because it only got 10% of the EW vote? Please.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 8:09am

As the grosses show, TV Boy, there is NO crowd for "Snakes on a Plane."

Posted: 4/28/07 at 11:05am

Exactly Wicked Geek. Snakes on a Plane is a textbook example of how NOT to market a movie-- huge buzz, tons of press and NO ticket sales.

[jimnysf]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 11:24am

"Hairspray" will be this summer's "Grease". A big hit!

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 12:12pm

I think that HAIRSPRAY will get lost too...it will do well for the first couple weeks then all of a sudden it will slowly fade. Since Harry Potter (I still feel) will take the box office for like that whole month once it is released...don't get me wrong...I want it to be like #1 at the BO for a long, long, time, but with all the other BIG movies, I just hope it does not get lost...we will see on July 20th.

I do feel it will be one of the most talked about movies anyway...because of the GREAT cast...

[singingbackup]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 12:47pm

As I posted in another thread something I read in Business section of LA Daily News. Let me paraphrase:

Hairspray is seen by many as counter programming to all the male demo action, shoot 'em up flicks out at that time. Think "Devil Wears Prada" crowd who found that film amongst the testosterone and made it a hit. It's also not a bad thing to be out in the market around a juggernaut like "Potter." If that movie is sold out, people will want to see something and "Hairspray" will also appeal to families. Halo effect.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 2:34pm

Good point, singingbackup.

[purpleprince101]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 2:38pm

I thought Prada was doomed up against superman. That is giving me hope to hairspray!

[the_gambler3]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 3:26pm

At WP, 86% of 1500+ voters said they were seeing HS in the theaters :) Not bad considering 97% of voters at WP are males aged 18-34...
http://www.worstpreviews.com/review.php?id=286

[siny]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 3:34pm

Well, the story in Hairspray is outdated and sort of lame, so all they are left with is advertising the cast. It better be a very good cast or the movie will flop.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 3:42pm

I have a feeling there are probably a lot of people who don't get that it's a movie based on the musical based on the movie and think it's just a rehash of the movie.

[whatever2]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 3:54pm

jordangirl: i have a feeling that, outside of this board, not many people will know there was a broadway show OR a previous movie!

we're goin' out to 'muricah now, hawn!

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 4:45pm

Well, the trailer sure is not very specific about this film being a musical...it looks more like a comedy to me, but the fact that John Travolta looks like a white version of a B- Eddie Murphy character with no apparent reason, also makes it a bit strange.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 5:17pm

I guess it's hard to predict it's future, but I hope it does well. And if anything, I hope it's a critical success.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 5:39pm

A critical success never made anyone any money.

I don't know anyone who would produce a film not to make money.

It's called show BUSINESS.

Let's hope it's a big finacial success!

But nice thought!

[HeidiL87]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 5:47pm

I think the trailer is NOTHING BUT specific that this is a musical. Its filled with singing and dancing. I don't think many people will be fooled into going and then being surprised that it is a musical. The director has even said that he is not trying to hide that it is a big old fat musical.

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/28/07 at 6:04pm

I think the trailer is NOTHING BUT specific that this is a musical. Its filled with singing and dancing. I don't think many people will be fooled into going and then being surprised that it is a musical.

I think you're wrong. What the trailer shows is that the plot includes a TV show where musical numbers are performed. A lot of non-musical movies are like that - but in this trailer we only see a couple of the "big names" singing, and both are performing in that TV show. It might be obvious for people who know about the musical, but nothing indicates that all main characters will break into song AND dance at all times.