The Fault, Dear Brutus, Lies Not In Our Starbucks
You know how you go to Starbucks to hang out, and they’re always playing this cool retro music which happens to be on sale right there, so you stop by the barista again on the way out and say, “You know, I think I like that Pink Martini CD. Ring it up,” and you walk away with a CD which therefore enjoys a sales bump from having been pushed in a Starbucks?
Well, the film industry was hoping it might benefit from Starbucks exposure and it hasn’t happend yet.
From today’s Daily Variety, which is incidentally good reading in a Starbucks:
Paramount Classics’ “Arctic Tale” has become the second pic backed by the coffee giant not able to translate the company’s caffeine buzz into strong box office. (Starbucks previously backed Lionsgate’s “Akeelah and the Bee.”)
The environmentally focused docu revolving around polar bears and walruses has earned $484,000 since bowing July 25. Pic’s widest opening on 227 theaters occurred in its fourth week of release Aug. 17. It plays in 158 venues in its fifth frame this weekend.
Maybe the problem is that the ‘Bucks didn’t put their backs into it:
Starbucks installed signage and stickers in 6,800 of its stores, printed “Arctic”-branded cup sleeves, sold plush walruses and the pic’s soundtrack and sponsored discussions in select stores nationwide about climate change. Materials for the movie also appear on the company’s website… Starbucks said it didn’t go further and create a themed Frappuccino, for example, because it didn’t want to overly commercialize the tie-in.
Yeah, it’s a fine line, the point at which it becomes OVERLY commercialized.
Why isn’t this working? I think there are 3 reasons. One is that Starbucks, unlike their rivals Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, doesn’t install video screens in their stores. They can play music for you, but they can’t show you the movie. The other factor… well I can’t vouch for Akeela and the Bee, but I’m I’m almost certain that ARCTIC TALE sucks ice. In other words, maybe NOTHING would have helped these movies make money. And finally, what’s with the kiddie fare? I suppose the typical latte-slurper is a 35-year-old yuppie, but why not pick movies to appeal directly to them instead of their spawn? Do they think NO ONE that age is single?
Or maybe try this - instead of new movies, push some film noir at Starbucks. A little black and white. Something tells me Starbucks drinkers hunger for movies where the lead characters wear hats. The product is already amortized anyway, Paramount - you got nothin’ to lose.
-daniel k
August 25th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
To inform you. Both movies, Akeela and the Bee and Arctic Tale are fine movies.
Better then most of the junk in theatres for young people. Not to mention TV.
Starbucks has chosen to support 2 inspirational, solid movies. It’s to their credit.
They be a bit less subtle in their promotion - but what’s really wrong is the distribution of the films which is entirely messed up.
Go see Arctic Tale while you still can. It’s worth it. Take a kid with you, you’ll be amazed by how captivating it is!