The NBA Finals have not only been a showcase for LeBron James and his underdog Cavaliers, but Hollywood studios are using the male-dominated ABC audiences to promote their upcoming films – in EVERY commercial break. No big surprise, right? Well, there is something a bit different and a bit shocking about this year’s movie marketing strategy.
Along with “Jurassic World”, “Pixels” and “Trainwreck” (in which LeBron has a sizable role), which will all hit theater screens by the end of July, we’re seeing extensive ads for both the latest James Bond film “Spectre” and the Tom Hanks/Steven Spielberg thriller “Bridge of Spies”. Why is that unusual? Because both of those films won’t be released until the Fall – “Spies” in mid-October and “Spectre” in early November, nearly 5 months from now!
I understand older NBA fans are the ideal demo for both “007” and spy movies, but I can’t imagine anyone watching these commercials (which, in some cases, are slightly edited versions of the theatrical trailers) and thinking – “I’ve got to make plans right now to see this movie…when it comes out IN NOVEMBER! Promoting Award Season contenders in June is like pitching Christmas trees in July: we all know we’re going to go out and get one, but it’s the last thing on our minds at the moment. Get back to me when it’s 20 degrees and snowing.
In recent years we’ve seen Hollywood push the start of the Summer Movie Season to early May, and begin the Holiday Movie Season in early November. So I guess this is simply a continuation of that trend. But, with marketing budgets tightening and studios concerned more than ever with their bottom-lines, you have to wonder if this strategy to heavily promote Oct./Nov. releases in early June is going to be a MVP (Most Valuable Ploy) or a big loser.