To promoteThe Dictator , Sacha Baron Cohen walked the red carpet at the 2012 Oscars in character as Amdiral Aladeen , carrying a gilded urn . During an consultation , he " accidentally " plunge the fake ashes all over Ryan Seacrest .
As we know from years of watching viral videos, pulling off some kind of wild trick or ridiculous antic is a fast way to get people talking about you. However, for movie studios, using publicity stunts to promote their new films goes back to Old Hollywood times.
Here are 15 wild and ridiculous PR stunts that studios and actors pulled to promote their movies:
1.To promoteBee Movieat the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, lead voice actor Jerry Seinfelddressedin an oversized bee costume and zip-lined over the crowd like a graceless Tinker Bell in Magic Kingdom.
Before jump-start off an eight - chronicle hotel to take flight , he sound out , " You know , one matter I hate is any form of movie promotion that smacks of despair in any fashion . "
Here’s a video:
2.In 2005, the horror movieHouse of Waxcast Paris Hilton as Paige, a character who died early on. Her onscreen death wasusedas a key part of the marketing campaign, and they even sold T-shirts that said, “See Paris Die.”
Paris toldHollywood.com , " I think it was the cool end setting . It ’s really awesome . I cheered ! It was dope . "
3.To promoteBrüno, Sacha Baron Cohen conspired with Eminem to stage a PR stunt at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards. Performing in character, Sacha wore fake wings and flew over the audience on wires. After flipping the wrong way, he was lowered down — landing with his butt in Eminem’s face.
After fans wondered if Eminem had really been upset over the misadventure , he admitted it was staged . He toldRapRadar.com , " Sacha called me when we were in Europe , and he had an estimation to do something usurious at the Movie Awards . I ’m a big rooter of his piece of work , so I agreed to get involved with the gag . I ’m thrilled that we pull out this off better than we practice it . "
He also said that , though he stormed out of the awards ceremony as part of the stunt , he spent the next three hours express joy about it after getting back to his hotel .
Here’s the full clip:
4.To promoteThe Dictator,Sacha Baron Cohenwalkedthe red carpet at the 2012 Oscars in character as Admiral Aladeen, carrying an urn bearing the face of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. During an interview, he “accidentally” dumped the fake ashes all over Ryan Seacrest.
A few months after , Sacha apologise to Ryan .
During an episode ofOn Air with Ryan Seacrest , the master of ceremonies explained , " I saw Isla Fisher [ backstage atSaturday Night Live ] , and I said hi , and she say these words , and then it dawned on me . She said , ' I apologize for my husband . ' And I said , ' Oh , yes , yes , gotcha , give thanks you , give thanks you very much for saying that' … I did n’t realize her married man , The Dictator , Sacha Baron Cohen , was doing a walk - on cameo … He comes off degree , come over to me , erupt type and says sorry about the Oscars , it was n’t personal . [ He was ] very , very apologetic and literal and kind and sweet … Then he start separate me how it went down … in the beginning he say that they were go to spill whatever it was in that urn on George Clooney . Someone decide that was n’t a great idea because he was up for a circle of nomination , it was a big night that nighttime . Then they somehow spin the wheel of disaster and landed on my name . "
Watch the full clip below:
5.After reviewing 1943’sThe Outlaw, Joe Breen, who enforced the Hays Code in Hollywood,orderedproducer Howard Hughes to remove dozens of “unacceptable” shots of actor Jane Russell’s breasts, which he felt were “shockingly emphasized and, in almost every instance, are very substantially uncovered.” However, Howard ignored him, and playing into the controversy, hired a skywriter to write the movie’s title and then draw two circles with dots in the center, representing boobs.
He also turn promotional posters depicting Jane lounging in a rick , along with ticket lines like " How Would You wish to Tussle With Russell ? " and " meanspirited ! Moody ! Magnificent ! "
6.Ahead of the movie’s 2008 release,The Dark Knight’s marketing campaign centered around the Alternate Reality Game “Why So Serious?”. Their main goal was to get people to seeBrokeback Mountainactor Heath Ledger as “the most iconic, most evil villain,” so, after releasing “I Believe in Harvey Dent” promotional posters introducing Aaron Eckhart’s casting, the team secretly spread out Joker cards bearing the message “I Believe in Harvey Dent Too” outside of major comic book shops. They also hid the cards in newBatmancomics and old graphic novels.
Chief Creative Officer and Director / Experience Designer Alex Lieu toldIGN , " That was it . Literally , people just found these cards . They started taking pictures and post them on boards . Digg was a really bounteous matter at that time . There was no URL , nothing like that — but someone blend to IBelieveInHarveyDentToo.com , and there was a video of the same Harvey Dent poster that had been tagged by the Joker . And the internet site suppose , ' Hey … if you want to make your votereallycount , give me your east - mail . ' "
Every e-mail address unlock a unmarried pixel of the first look-alike of Heath Ledger as the Joker .
Alex keep on , " We never underrate what happens when millions of citizenry get together and render to solve something . It took 97,000 e - mails [ to unlock the Heath Ledger Joker photo ] . The first , like , 20,000 or 30,000 were immediate — and then it slacken down , and then mass were trying to turn tail handwriting and material , which we jam . So they had to Digg it , and go to all funny - book forum and movie forums to get enough people to crowdsource . During the 20 hour [ it took to unlock the persona ] , people were Photoshopping what they thought it was going to look like . And it wassoincredibly accurate . "
laboiteafilms / Viayoutube.com
7.To promote the 1947 rom-com,The Egg and I, press agent Jim Moranwentto the the Los Angeles Ostrich Farm and — with the memoir the movie was based on in hand — sat on an abandoned ostrich egg until it hatched 19 days, four hours, and 32 minutes later.
Hereportedlysquatted in a specially designed wheelchair during the day and slept in an ostrich corral at night .
8.The Blair Witch Projecthada small marketing team who used their relatively low budget for some pretty unorthodox (for the time) advertising. Since they had 16 hours of unused footage from the movie, they posted weekly online episodes that “helped establish the back story.” They also sent interns into clubs and coffee houses to ask other young people what they knew about the “Blair Witch.” However, one of their most attention-grabbing promotional materials was the fake “missing poster” featuring three of the actors.
John Hegeman , who lead the marketing crusade , tell theLA Times , " Moviegoers in ecumenical , no matter how old they are , are fairly saucy . They know that some bozo in a suit , at a studio apartment , is trying to fool them by create a film look like what they reckon kids want . But there ’s a difference between fooling an audience and conditioning an audience . And when you have the time to stipulate an audience , you have the power to have them be take of your motion-picture show , warts and all . "
9.In the middle of Will Ferrell’s acceptance speech at the 2013 MTV Movie Awards, Aubrey Plazaranonstage with a drink in her hand and the name of her upcoming movie,The To Do List,written across her chest. Without speaking, she tried to take the trophy out of his hands.
After she left the stage , Will quipped , " Aubrey Plaza , everyone ! Just like we rehearsed it … it was perfect — not too long , not too short . Right on the money ! "
MTV told theWashington Postthat the stunt had n’t been staged on their death , and they postulate Aubrey to leave afterward .
Referencing the infamous 2009 VMAs second when Kanye West stormed the leg during Taylor Swift ’s acceptance actor’s line , Aubreytweeted , " Thanks for the advice @kanyewest rifle better than planned ! "
You can watch the full clip below:
10.In 2009, Joaquin Phoenix claimed that he was giving up acting to pursue a hip-hop music career. In an infamousLate Show with David Lettermaninterview, he took on an unusual persona as he convinced the host of his new career path. A year later, director Casey Affleck — who’d beenfollowingJoaquin and filming him —admittedthat it was all for their mockumentary,I’m Still Here.
Casey told theNew York Times , " The reviews were so furious … I never mean to trick anybody . The idea of a quote , hoax , unquote , never enter my mind . "
Watch the full interview below:
11.To generate buzz for 1939’sGone with the Windbefore it was even filmed, producer David O. Selznickembarkedon a casting search across the American South the find the perfect Scarlett O’Hara. On the Southern Talent Search, he and talent scout Katherine Brown met with debutantes, visited women’s colleges, and spoke with Junior League groups.
Eventually , they cast Vivien Leigh , a professional but mostly unknown actor from the UK .
12.The weekend beforeIndependence Daywas released in theaters in 1996, Foxaireda half-hour special about the movie. However, the first 10 minutes of the broadcast was afake news reportthat made an alien invasion similar to the vents of the movie seem real.
You can watch the spoof news report below:
13.To promoteDracula’s Daughter, the 1936 horror movie about a female vampire who targets other women, Joe Weil, who worked for Universal’s publicity team,hiredan actor to lay on a couch in a Pittsburg storefront, pretending to be one of Countess Marya Zaleska’s victims. A curtain periodically opened and closed around her until the premiere, where she was “revived” onstage at the theater.
In extra , Universal published " birth announcements " from Dracula .
14.In 1992, ParamountpromotedCool World, which mixed animation and live-action, by placing a 75-foot steel cutout of Holli Would, the cartoon main character, on top of the “D” in the Hollywood sign.
Locals were quite upturned with the stunt . Some even protest with sign that say , " give up the Hollywood Sign Prostitution . "
Hollywoodland Homeowners Association president Chuck Welch told theHollywood Reporter , " This signaling should not be used for advertising . "
However , Harry Anderson , a Paramount spokesperson , told the outlet , " We followed the legal summons to the missive to get our permit . We ’ve obey all restriction put on us in terms of fire and safety , and we ’re ante up for 24 - hr security measure for the mark for the next week . "
The studio also donated $ 27,000 to the parks department to help with upkeep for the sign and an extra $ 27,000 to Rebuild LA .
15.And finally, at advanced screenings of the 2001 movieBlow, “replica cocaine-cutter mirrors” werereportedlyhanded out as souvenirs. They were also passed out outside sporting events and at bars to promote the film.
Debbie Lips , the conductor of the drug rehabilitation center Hope Institute , tell theNew York Postthat the stunt was " transport out the awry message " to stripling and worry that it would glamorise drug use .
However , Steve Elzer , New Line Cinema ’s older VP of corporal communication , said , " Anyone who seesBlowrecognizes that this highly acclaimed film does not promote or laud the consumption of drug . "
