Over the years SHOOT has chronicled the pending transition to DTV on assorted fronts, exploring the applications and implications for the advertising community. With Feb. 2009 fast approaching, mainstream consumer press has started paying more attention to the transition, focusing on this and related developments, particularly regarding HD.
Both trade and consumer press, for example, have reported on Toshiba’s decision to pull the plug on HD DVD, making Sony’s Blu-ray the format winner. Yet there’s an advertising/marketing aspect that’s largely been ignored.
Toshiba’s decision came about two months too late for those who bought HD DVD players as Christmas gifts for themselves or loved ones. An acquaintance of mine now views his player as a rather expensive paper weight.
To folks wearing rose-colored glasses, it is mere coincidence that the thumbs down on HD DVD came not too long after significant revenue from player sales was generated during the holidays. To those who are a bit more jaded, the decision’s timing was calculated to ensure that the Xmas season would bring good tidings to Toshiba.
Whatever your view, clearly those who recently invested in HD DVD deserve better. Days after Toshiba’s announcement, a visit to its website thelookandsoundofperfect.com didn’t even offer a hint of restitution to consumers who mistakenly cast their lot with HD DVD. However, a press release was on the site with news of “record-breaking unit sales in the fourth quarter of 2007.”
Since then, the site has been updated and a new release was posted informing us that despite the discontinuation of HD DVD, “Toshiba will continue to provide full product support and after-sales services.” A toll-free number was posted that customers could call to get “answers to general questions and operational assistance for their HD DVD players.”
With today’s raft of self-anointed crusading reporters who are supposedly looking out for us, I’m hard pressed to find any substantive coverage of this story from the standpoint of consumers who have been left holding the bag. And from an ad community perspective, the art of the pitch has become a bit more difficult in that many consumers–particularly HD DVD consumers–are understandably less trusting of marketers who are courting them.
And what about Toshiba? How should we view claims about future products from that manufacturer in light of the fate of those customers who recently committed to the HD DVD experience?
Old school thinking is that short-term gain ultimately results in long-term pain, meaning it’s short sighted for any company not to do right by its customers, at least for those whose players are barely out of the boxes they came in.
But new school is currently in session. And new school’s sad lesson is that the general public seems to forget all too soon and many might be just as willing to buy the next time around when the latest, greatest product claims are made.
So the question becomes for agencies and their clients, are they old school or new school? If the answer is the latter, then perhaps school’s out.
“Mufasa: The Lion King” and “Sonic 3” Rule Box Office For 1st Weekend Of 2025
The Walt Disney Co.'s "Mufasa: The Lion King" claimed the No. 1 spot on the North American box office charts over the first weekend of 2025.
The photorealistic "Lion King" prequel earned $23.8 million in its third weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. Paramount's "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," which has dominated the past two weekends, wasn't far behind.
"Sonic 3" stayed close with a 3-day estimate of $21.2 million, bringing its total domestic earnings to $187.5 million and helping the overall franchise cross $1 billion worldwide. "Mufasa's" running total is slightly less, with $169.2 million.
In third place, Focus Features' "Nosferatu" remake defied the fate of so many of its genre predecessors and fell only 39% in its second weekend. Horror films typically fall sharply after the first weekend and anything less than a 50% decline is notable. "Nosferatu," which added 140 screens, claimed $13.2 million in ticket sales, bringing its running total to $69.4 million since its Christmas debut. The film, directed by Robert Eggers, already surpassed its reported production budget of $50 million, though that figure does not account for marketing and promotion expenses).
No new wide releases opened this weekend, leaving the box office top 10 once again to holdovers from previous weeks. Several have been in theaters since Thanksgiving. One of those, "Moana 2," claimed the No. 4 spot for Disney in its sixth weekend in theaters. The animated sequel earned another $12.4 million, bumping its global total to $960.5 million.
The Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown," dipped only slightly in its second weekend, bringing in $8.1 million. With $41.7 million total, it's Searchlight's highest grossing film since Disney acquired the company in... Read More