Completely Unlike a Snake on a Plane

I had a very strange conversation earlier this week. On the other side of the table was someone trying to figure out how to use local weblogs and podcasts to build pre-release buzz for a movie no one’s seen yet.

If we assume this site and other bloggy publications are extensions of our everyday word-o-mouth, then it’s tough to recommend something you’ve had no experience with. That said, I wasn’t clear on what the movie was about. The existing materials didn’t help, nor was the backstory inherently compelling – best I could glean was something like Lost in La Mancha on a much, much smaller scale (That’s my everyday life).

Which brings me to a point about a movie Jen still doesn’t believe is real:

“Let me suggest that we promote a movie we’ve seen next time, and avoid hijacking our own channels into promoting something that will go down as the highest grossing crap B movie ever.” – Karl Long

While I’m completely behind Karl’s sentiment – the movie doesn’t really matter.

We all know, instinctively, intuitively, what kind of movie Snakes on a Plane is. It’s all in the title. The movie didn’t even have to be made. That’s the power of it. That’s why it’s compelling – 105 minutes, millions of dollars, plot line, all compressed into 4 words.

See the movie? Why? I’ve already changed my MySpace page to Sharks on a Tractor (thanks Conan O’Brien).

“The quality of the film matters nothing.” – Terry Heaton

. Terry’s got other tasty bits in there as well.

I’d like to thank Seth Godin for succinctly wrapping this post up for me.

“I knew all about SOAP and had no desire whatsoever to go. I’m just not ready to sit in a theatre with a bunch of people afraid of airplanes.”

“I’m afraid we come back to something that marketers have been struggling with for a really long time–the best way to succeed is to have a really great product.” – Seth Godin

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