A few weeks back, I was watching the Dallas Cowboys game on TV and the commentators announced that before kickoff, the stadium occupants, as well as viewers like myself, were about to see, on the 11,520 sq ft JerryTron, an “Avatar exclusive.” The ‘exclusive’ just turned out to be an extended trailer, but it was cool nonetheless.
Of course, this wasn’t the first time I heard of Avatar: that distinction goes to the “Regal Cinemas FirstLook” piece that I viewed on the film before seeing Inglourious Basterds for the first time, in August.
So it shocked me when I found out that the film isn’t even out yet! It comes out for general release tonight at midnight, yet the advertisements have been going on for half the year! I think it’s safe to say that the world has been oversaturated with Avatar ads. In addition to the JerryTron ad, I’ve also noticed Avatar advertised in a multitude of ways including:
- more “exclusives” between football games (every week on Fox and CBS).
- embedded ads other commercials, such as the new LG phone/projector, which used an Avatar trailer to show how well it projects.
- advertisements for the film from McDonalds and Coca-Cola, who have licensing deals with the movie.
In addition, I’ve been informed that some Fox show called “Bones” included a gimmick which advertised for Avatar, inside of the plot of the TV show!
But it’s not just the US that has to witness this oversaturation. Apparently, the largest billboard ever made for a movie is just outside Mumbai, drawing attention to, you guessed it, James Cameron’s new vehicle. Fifteen countries saw their YouTube taken over by advertisements for Avatar for a day last week.
A healthy amount of advertising is something I can stand. But this has gone too far. Apparently, the production budget for Avatar was $230 million, yet a total of $500 million was actually spent on production and marketing. That means that $270 million is for overhead! More money was spent marketing the film than making it!
I surely hope that Twentieth Century Fox makes back their money, which I’m sure they will, but in the meantime, I don’t plan to give them a red cent for this film. And I do so because no matter what this movie is about, I was annoyed by this advertising oversaturation, and I do not intend to reward the pestering. After all this advertising, I must ask, Avatar: who the hell cares?