The Odd Marketing Campaigns Behind 'Machine Gun Preacher' and 'Dolphin Tale'

Hey, you there -- riding the motorcycle. Do you happen to be a member of the Hell's Angels? Yes? Then you'll just love this new Gerard Butler movie! And, you, over there, with the kid. Is your child home schooled? He is? Then by all means bring him to the theater to see this heartwarming story about a dolphin! While these two ideas may sound ridiculous, they are actually real marketing campaigns from the studios bringing you 'Machine Gun Preacher' and 'Dolphin Tale.' In 'Preacher,' Gerard Butler plays real-life biker-turned-philanthropist Sam Childers, who travels to the Sudan. Relativity Media assumes that since the movie is about a motorcycle gang member who finds God, the target audience would be motorcycle clubs and church-going folk. As the story in the LA Times states: "To help draw out religious audiences, Relativity crafted a 'Machine Gun Preacher' poster framing Childers in a cross, cut different ads emphasizing his religious conversion, hired a marketing firm to work with pastors on movie-related sermons, and screened the film for church groups." As for 'Dolphin Tale,' Alcon, the studio behind the movie, is going for the home-schooled crowd, "urging their parents to take them to the movie on Friday, and then discuss it following a curriculum guide." Marketing toward religious individuals is not a bad idea, particularly with the recent success of 'The Blind Side' and 'The Help,' which saw campaigns geared toward those who attend church. As for people who home-school their kids? Well, that seems like a bit of a stretch -- unless part of their curriculum requires a trip to Sea World. And it's not like 'Dolphin Tale' follows the story of DUSO the Dolphin. [via LA Times] Image courtesy of Relativity

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