Marketing – Page 5

January 13, 2010April 12, 2011

Peter Sarsgaard – Green Lantern Villain – Who Cares!?

OK geeks. Time to go outside for a little air.

I just noticed that the current most popular item on Digg is a story about Peter Sarsgaard possibly being cast as the villain in next year’s Green Lantern movie.

WHO GIVES A FUCK?! Jesus Christ, seriously, with the unimaginably horrific tragedy unfolding in Haiti, who cares about who will play the villain in The Green Lantern?!

Sure, he’s a fine actor. I’m sure he’ll be good in the part. BUT WHO CARES?! Please don’t spend the valuable time you have remaining in your lives “DIGGING” stories like this.

Here’s how this story should be discussed:

TWEET: Peter Sarsgaard may play the villain in “The Green Lantern” movie?
RESPONSE: Cool.

End of story.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

October 8, 2009April 26, 2011

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies

“LOVE NEVER DIES”? That’s the name of the sequel to the Phantom of the Opera?

You mean “Love Never Dies” like the tag line to Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 movie “Dracula” starring the great Keanu Reeves doing one of the worst British accents in the history of film? “Love Never Dies” like that?

Taking a title from a movie tag line never works. Does anyone remember “Love Is In The Hair…” the musical version of “There’s Something About Mary”? No! Because no one was that stupid.

Look, I’m not here to scream fire in a crowded theater and ruin your billion-dollar party. I’m a musical fanatic and know by heart just about every song Lord Webber has put in a show (and count Aspects Of Love as my favorite – so how crazy am I?)… but come on ALW!

THE PHANTOM IS NOW GOING TO HAUNT CONEY ISLAND?! Are you fucking kidding me?!

Why the fuck would Christine Daae even take a gig at Coney Island? Why the fuck would you hire the SISTER ACT lyricist to do LOVE NEVER DIES?!

I have plenty of more ‘Why the fucks…?’ but I’ll cut it off right there and just say – please prove me wrong, Lord Webber, but this has ‘disaster’ written all over it.

Seriously, I haven’t heard this bad of an idea for a musical since Manka Bros. announced they were adapting “Rampage Of The Stegosaur” for Broadway!

Lord Webber, if you’re so insistent on putting a ridiculous premise like that out there (and you wrote it) then all this show deserves is a joke title – something like:

The Phantom Goes West
Yankee Phantom
Coney Island Ghost (I believe ALW actually wanted to call it The Phantom of Coney Island – or something horrible like that)
Christine Daae’s A Little Whore (Thanks to Shane the intern. He says it’ll work in Vegas.)
Coney Opera
The Phantom 2: Life’s A Beach
Etc.

So, “Love Never Dies” by Lord Webber bows in London on March 9, 2010 (with a most-likely closing date after the summer 2010). I’m sure there will be enough Phantom phanatics to justify a decent run – but Lord Webber doesn’t take bad reviews and slowing box office lightly (i.e., The Woman In White). And this musical is destined for bad reviews and slowing box office.

Good luck to you and your soon to be crestfallen cast.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

P.S. – Please don’t have them sing a song on the Coney Island Roller Coaster. I don’t want to see The Phantom and Christine circle the theater in a roller coaster singing a love ballad. Please.

October 6, 2009April 26, 2011

Attention Digital Hollywood!

OK – it’s time to redesign your website. That’s just hideous!

Come on – you’re called DIGITAL HOLLYWOOD! A site like that makes people go running back to Analog. Simplified complexity, please.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

October 5, 2009April 26, 2011

Ben Silverman’s New Company?

OK, Ben.

It’s been nearly three months since you announced you were leaving NBC to start a new company that will “capitalize on the ever-evolving world of multimedia production and distribution.” We’re still waiting.

Who knows? Maybe you actually did stay at NBC to help launch the new season (or whatever) like you claimed you were going to do.

If you stayed, most likely you left the morning after The Jay Leno Show premiered so that you could tell people that it was a hit while you were there.

[Note: Latest ratings for The Jay Leno Show (10/5/09): 2.9/5 – but, according to John Ferriter, it only needs a 1.5 to make NBC Universal $300 million!]

I know it must be difficult to be a cutting-edge wunderkind and I’m not trying to rush you – but it’s time to announce your new venture.

I’m sure Barry Diller can’t wait to hear about it either. He’s got $100 million riding on your genius.

Don’t worry, Ben – Vegas will still be there after you launch your company. And… don’t forget… hot chicks dig launch parties.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

September 22, 2009May 2, 2011

Yahoo’s New Ad Campaign ROCKS!

Ari Emanuel, Bill Gates, Carol Bartz, David Dibble, Elisa Steele, Eric Schmidt, Google, Hilary Schneider, Jack in the Box, Jeff Weiner, Jerry Seinfeld, Jerry Yang, Khan Manka, Mac vs. PC, Manka Bros., Microsoft, Nicolas Sparks, Penny Baldwin, Steve Ballmer, Tapan Bhat, Terry Semel, Tim Morse, Y!ou, Yahoo!, Yahoo's new ad campaign

It simply blows Apple’s Mac vs. PC ads out of the water. Jack In The Box is Yahoo!’s bitch!

There… that should get a few Yahoo! executives clicking on this entry.

It’s actually a pretty terrible and underwhelming campaign and won’t do anything to help the brand.

On the plus side, it certainly won’t hurt to throw $100 million at the Yahoo! brand. It does need updating. But a more creative and less generic middle-of-the-road approach would have been the way to go.

It’s basically the Jay Leno of ad campaigns. Nice and safe. Your children will be okay if left alone with the new Yahoo! campaign.

You can sit and drink lemonade on the front porch with the new Yahoo! campaign. It’s a Nicolas Sparks novel on a rainy day. It don’t hurt nobody.

Some companies would have gone for a “lock-up your children because HERE COMES THE YAHOO! CAMPAIGN TO TAKE AWAY YOUR DAUGHTER ON A MOTORCYCLE” type of approach. Edgy and exciting.

Maybe in today’s economy, nice and safe is the way to go. We’ll find out soon enough. Microsoft was forced to dump a few crappy ad campaigns in the past – hopefully, if it doesn’t work out, Yahoo! will pull the trigger quickly and bring on the motorcycle gangs.

I wish Carol Bartz luck… I’m a big fan. So is my boss, Khan Manka, Jr.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

August 31, 2009April 29, 2011

Disney Buys Marvel!

Alan Fine, Ari Emanuel, Bob Iger, David Maisel, DC Comics, Deadline Hollywood, Disney, Isaac Perlmutter, Jeff Bewkes, Jeff Weiner, Jill Kennedy, John Turitzin, Kenneth P. West, Khan Manka, Manka Bros., Marvel, Marvel Comics, Nikki Finke, OnMedea, Sharon Waxman, Simon Philips, Terry Semel, Walt Disney Company

My spidey senses nailed this one. Friday I said it would happen – and now it is so!

My colleage Nikki Finke loves to say “TOLDJA” – but she didn’t get this one!

In a deal that shocked everyone in the industry except me, Disney today announced it will purchase Marvel Entertainment – the total value about $50/share or $4 billion for company.

Here’s the press release:

DISNEY TO ACQUIRE MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT

Worldwide leader in family entertainment agrees to acquire Marvel and its portfolio of over 5,000 characters

Acquisition highlights Disney’s strategic focus on quality branded content, technological innovation and international expansion to build long-term shareholder value

Burbank, CA and New York, NY, August 31, 2009 –Building on its strategy of delivering quality branded content to people around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) has agreed to acquire Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:MVL) in a stock and cash transaction, the companies announced today.

Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney on August 28, 2009, Marvel shareholders would receive a total of $30 per share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own. At closing, the amount of cash and stock will be adjusted if necessary so that the total value of the Disney stock issued as merger consideration based on its trading value at that time is not less than 40% of the total merger consideration.

Based on the closing price of Disney stock on Friday, August 28, the transaction value is $50 per Marvel share or approximately $4 billion.

“This transaction combines Marvel’s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney’s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories,” said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “Ike Perlmutter and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.”

“We believe that adding Marvel to Disney’s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation,” Iger said.

“Disney is the perfect home for Marvel’s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses,” said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel’s Chief Executive Officer. “This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney’s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world.”

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Marvel including its more than 5,000 Marvel characters. Mr. Perlmutter will oversee the Marvel properties, and will work directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build and further integrate Marvel’s properties.

The Boards of Directors of Disney and Marvel have each approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, effectiveness of a registration statement with respect to Disney shares issued in the transaction and other customary closing conditions. The agreement will require the approval of Marvel shareholders. Marvel was advised on the transaction by BofA Merrill Lynch.

Investor Conference Call:

An investor conference call will take place at approximately 10:15 a.m. EDT / 7:15 a.m. PDT today, August 31, 2009. To listen to the Webcast, turn your browser to http://corporate.disney.go.com/investors/presentations.html or dial in domestically at 800-260-8140 or internationally at 617-614-3672. For both dial-in numbers, the participant pass code is 51214527.

The discussion will be available via replay on the Disney investors website through September 14, 2009 at 7:00 PM EDT/4:00 PM PDT.

About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, interactive media and consumer products. Disney is a Dow 30 company with revenues of nearly $38 billion in its most recent fiscal year.

About Marvel Entertainment, Inc.
Marvel Entertainment, Inc. is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a library of over 5,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing, entertainment (via Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) and publishing (via Marvel Comics).

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I think it’s a great deal for Disney. Great for owners of IP in general. It puts a premium on content creation and content ownership. Bully for you, Bob Iger! Electronic Arts is next and then you guys are all set.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

July 31, 2009April 28, 2011

Ben Silverman – Master Innovator?

I was at a party once and (G. Gordon) Liddy put his hand over a candle, and he kept it there. He kept it right in the flame until his flesh was burned. Somebody said, “What’s the trick?” And Liddy said, “The trick is not minding.”

Deep Throat – All The President’s Men

I’m not suggesting by the title of this entry and the above quote that Ben Silverman is as nuts as G. Gordon Liddy. Far from it. I personally believe he is too big of a pussy to even come close to burning his hand in a flame. But there is a certain recklessness (and his bizarre relishing in this recklessness) that makes the comparison apt. It’s almost like he wants you to call him a “hard-partying, womanizing, break the rules kind of guy.” That’s his badge of honor. And it works for most rock stars and even George Clooney – but not Ben.

I know for a fact that a few drugs and a good amount of booze has helped to shape some of the greatest content ever produced. Can you imagine jazz evolving as it did without the use of drugs? Can you imagine Hemingway or Faulkner or Fitzgerald writing sober? Can you imagine the filmmaking of 1970s without any chemicals to get through the long nights? Luckily we don’t have to.

There have been many successful executives in the past (and some currently) that have partied just as hard – but you don’t hear much about their social lives because they do their jobs and hit their numbers. When you fail, everyone starts looking very closely at how you spend your day.

Success would have saved Mr. Silverman and he would have been allowed to do whatever he wanted. (And Jeff Zucker probably would have encouraged him to continue to do whatever it was he was doing.) But he failed.

Ben Silverman was an absolute disaster at NBC. Practically everything he touched turned to shit (the list of expensive flops is long and you most likely have read about them elsewhere) – and yet, here he is, partying his way to the top of another company.

In my opinion, Barry Diller has done his shareholders a great disservice by letting this failure control a $100 million fund to bridge “the gap between traditional television and the internet”.

Sounds like an amazing idea, Barry! Somebody has got to figure out that puzzle, I suppose. And based on all the executive talent out there, you picked… Ben Silverman.

But, stupid me, I keep forgetting, based on press releases, Ben Silverman is a great innovator and the absolute right man to bridge that ‘gap’ (right man, that is, if advertisers are ready to party like animals, miss meetings, sleep late and never see a project through to the end).

But let me give credit where credit is due. Mr. Silverman is a guy who seamlessly integrated advertiser’s products into storylines of reality and scripted shows such as The Restaurant and The Biggest Loser. Wow, was that restaurant cooking with ACTUAL FOOD? Was that biggest loser drinking a Gatorade? I’m glad Mr. Silverman came up with the idea to let the biggest losers hydrate themselves. That’s a stroke of genius. The contestants should be very glad he didn’t cut the deal with Starbucks – the biggest losers would have then had to hydrate with Venti Lattes.)

Note to Ben: Ed McMahon sat next to a dog eating Alpo on The Tonight Show and it sold a lot of Alpo. Charlie McCarthy (Edgar Bergen’s ventriloquist puppet) sold a ton of Ex-lax on the radio and he’s a freakin’ puppet that can’t possibly know what it’s like to be constipated! Products sell because people want the products – not because a Ford Truck was seamlessly integrated into a webisode about a cop and a hooker.

There have been great innovations in advertising (the banner ads on the right side of this blog for one) – but Ben Silverman hasn’t come up with one (no matter how hard he tries to say that he has). Mr. Silverman has obviously gotten very lucky in life and now has $100 million to play with, which will buy a lot of entertainment for himself and his daily girlfriends as he listens to pitches for web series about hot tits and Vegas fraternities. I wish him all the best trying to sell those to Coke.

Here’s a prediction that will beat any tweet that Ryan Seacrest will make today:

The venture will fail – without fail. Sorry, Barry.

May 12, 2009May 12, 2011

All The President’s Men – Washington Post Budget Meeting Scene

1000Memories, Accel Partners, Amish Jani, Andrew Hyde, Andrew Mason, Andy Sack, Ashton Kutcher, Aydin Senkut, Ben Silverman, Bin 38, Bob Davis, Bob Iger, Brad Feld, Brian Kempner, Chris Hughes, Christopher Steiner, Dan Nova, Daniel Gaisin, Danielle Hootnick, Dave McClure, David Brown, David Cohen, David Kirkpatrick, Demi Moore, Demo Day, Diego Gutierrez, Dustin Moskovitz, Edmond Yue, Eduardo Saverin, Emmett Shear, Eric Lefkofsky, Fergal Mullen, FirstMark Capital, Founders At Work, Francis Duong, Gaurav Tewari, Gerald Levin, Gerald Poch, Greg McAdoo, Greylock Partners, Harjeet Taggar, HBO, Highland Capital Partners, Irena Goldenberg, Jared Polis, Jeff Bewkes, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jessica Livingston, Jessica Mah, Jill Kennedy, Joanna Shields, John Hsin, John Palfrey, Jon Miller, Jr., Justin Kan, Justin.tv, Khan Manka, Larry Wilson, Laurence Albukerk, Lawrence Lenihan, Li Ka-shing, Loopt, Manish Patel, Manka Bros., Mark Cuban, Mark Zuckerberg, Matt Cohler, Matt Nichols, Michael Arrington, Michael Gaiss, MySpace, Nick Marsh, Nicolas Carlson, OnMedea, Owen Van Natta, Paul Buchheit, Paul Cianciolo, Paul Graham, Peter Bell, Peter Thiel, Reddit, Richard de Silva, Richard Heitzman, Rick Heitzmann, Robert Morris, Ron Conway, Rudy Adler, Rupert Murdoch, Sand Hill Road, Scott Shane, Scott Switzer, Sequoia Capital, Sergey Nazarov, Shabbir Dahod, Shawn Broderick, Sheryl Sandberg, Sterling Phillips, Sumner Redstone, Tapzilla, TechCrunch, TechStars, TextPayMe, Toy Story 3, Trevor Blackwell, Y Combinator, google, Eric Schmidt, Tina Brown, The Daily Beast, Barry Diller, Dan Lyons, Google Smear campaign, Burson-Marsteller, Chris Soghoian, Jim Goldman, John Mercurio,

Here is a companion to “All The Facebook’s Men” – the actual scene from the original screenplay of “All The President’s Men”

INT. WASHINGTON POST – CONFERENCE ROOM

NATIONAL EDITOR: –let me tell what happened when I was having lunch today at the Sans Souci–

ROSENFLED: –correction–when you were drinking your lunch at the bar of the Sans Souci–

NATIONAL EDITOR: –this White House guy, a good one, a pro, came up and asked what is this Watergate compulsion with you guys and I said, well, we think it’s important and he said, if it’s so goddamn important, who the hell are Woodward and Bernstein?

ROSENFELD: Ask him what he’s really saying– he means take the story away from Woodstein and give it to his people at the National Desk–

NATIONAL EDITOR: –well, I’ve got some pretty experienced fellas sitting around, wouldn’t you say so?

ROSENFELD: Absolutely. And that’s all they do, sit sit sit – every once in a while, they call up a Senator, some reporting–

NATIONAL EDITOR: –well, what if your boys get it wrong?

BRADLEE: (after a beat) Then it’s our asses, isn’t it?

SIMONS: (indicates the meeting is over) And we’ll all have to go to work for a living.

As the men rise and head for the door, the FOREIGN EDITOR moves toward BRADLEE and SIMONS who remain seated as before.

FOREIGN EDITOR: I don’t think either Metropolitan or National should cover the story.

Bradlee and Simons look at him.

FOREIGN EDITOR (CONT’D): I don’t think we should cover the story, period.

BRADLEE: Go on.

FOREIGN EDITOR: It’s not that we’re using unnamed sources that bothers me, or that everything we print the White House denies, or that almost no other papers are reprinting our stuff.

SIMONS: What then?

FOREIGN EDITOR: I don’t believe the goddamn story, Howard, it doesn’t make sense.

BRADLEE: It will, it just hasn’t bottomed out yet, give it time.

FOREIGN EDITOR: Ben, Jesus, there are over two thousand reporters in this town, are there five on Watergate? Where did we suddenly get all this wisdom?

Bradlee and Simons say nothing. They respect this guy.

FOREIGN EDITOR: Look – why would the Republicans do it? My God, McGovern is self-destructing before our eyes — just like Muskie did, Humphrey, the bunch of ’em. Why would the burglars have put the tape around the door instead of up and down unless they wanted to get caught? Why did they take a walkie-talkie and then turn it off, unless they wanted to get caught? Why would they use McCord–the only direct contact to the Republicans?

BRADLEE: You saying the Democrats bugged themselves?

FOREIGN EDITOR: The FBI thinks it’s possible–the Democrats need a campaign issue, corruption’s always a good one. Get off the story, Ben — or put some people on McGovern’s finances; fair is fair, even if our business.

He leaves.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea