T-Mobile and Neil Simon

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 11:08pm

Has anyone seen the new T-Mobile commercial? The “hello” commercial? The premise being it’s so cheap to talk that you’ll be saying “hello” instead of “goodbye”. They have lots of cute bits of people substituting “hello” for “goodbye”. And at the end of the commercial there’s a shot of the marquee of the St. James Theatre where it says “Neil Simon’s The Hello Girl”.

Any idea what they had to pay Simon for the rights to show that? Or if they even had to?

[defyingravity07]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 11:14pm

According to IBDB there is no show called "The Hello Girl" and definitely not written by Neil Simon.

[SpellingBeeFan4Ever]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 11:14pm

I saw that and started laughing at that!

[SpellingBeeFan4Ever]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 11:15pm

DG07, There IS a show called the Goodbye girl.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 11:16pm

pay the rights on what? a title that he didn't write? I wouldn't think there is anything to pay rights ON.

[defyingravity07]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 11:16pm

God I'm stupid.

[wicked_beast4]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 11:17pm

And it starred Bernie!!!!

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 11:18pm

Well, of course there isn't. Jeez, I didn't think I had to spell it out. This being a theatre board, I assumed (silly me) everyone would have heard of Neil Simon's play "The Goodbye Girl" and understand that the commercial used a rather lame play on words.

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 11:20pm

Pay the rights to using his name, I think. I mean, if the marquee had just said "The Hello Girl" without his name, they'd be totally in the clear because you can't copyright a title.

But coupled with his name in that way, I had to wonder about the legal aspects.

ETA: and before anyone else points out the obvious, yes, I know "The Goodbye Girl" did NOT play at the St. James.

Updated On: 7/15/08 at 11:20 PM

[SpellingBeeFan4Ever]

Posted: 7/15/08 at 11:28pm

Because it was vacant for almost a year, they may have used it because no other theatres were availbe to put it up. Althought they could have done photoshop.

[Jon]

Posted: 7/16/08 at 10:29am

Well, of course it is cheaper to photoshop the title than to have an actual marquee created.

[Patash]

Posted: 7/16/08 at 10:54am

Regarding The Goodbye Girl, it was never a play, but rather a movie (non musical) with Marsha Mason(Best Actress Oscar nomination) and Richard Dreyfus (Best Actor Oscar winner) written by Neil Simon (Best Screenplay Oscar winner) (1977). In 1993 it was turned into a Broadway musical starring Bernadette Peters and Martin Short.

[Filmie]

Posted: 12/20/08 at 10:52am

Hi - I know this thread is old, but I actually worked on that commercial - They did get permission from Neil Simon, he was paid somewhere in the 5 figures for the use of his name - I think we could use his name in exactly one sign. He certainly could have sued if the agency hadn't gotten permission, as the connection between "Goodbye Girl" and "Hello Girl" is too strong- nobody would bother using "Hello Girl" if not for the pre-existence of "Goodbye Girl" the musical. Neil Simon gave that phrase value. At least, I think that's what the lawyers would argue.

Also - none of this was done in Photoshop. We used King Displays, who does a lot of Broadway Marquees. We put it all up in one evening, shot it, and took it down the next morning. Even the custom "Neil Simon" name in lights. It cost around $40,000 to do that one shot!

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 12/20/08 at 11:21am

Wow! Thank you, Filmie! That's fascinating to know. Thanks for explaining what I thought was obvious, about the use of the phrase "The Hello Girl".

And good for you (and your company) for doing it the old-fashioned way.