In SHOOT’s recent online survey asking for feedback on last month’s Advertising Week in New York, the majority of respondents felt that the event did a good job of promoting the industry but unfortunately was undermined by yet another crop of negative political advertising that is an embarrassment to our business.
While this is most painfully evident in mudslinging political spots in which character assassination–not to mention assassination of the facts and the issues–remains the norm, there’s plenty of cause for embarrassment outside that overtly offensive realm. Consider the authority figures who appear in ads.
Last week The Los Angeles Times reported on the money being spent by the tobacco industry to defeat the Proposition 86 cigarette tax initiative and by the oil business to combat Proposition 87, which would place a tax on big oil. Both propositions are on the California ballot for the November election. In return for significant sums of money, many spokespeople carrying weight have come out against both initiatives.
But perhaps more telling is The Times’ account of Dr. Americo Simonini, who refused to appear in a No on 86 spot. When a casting call went out for a doctor-actor to appear in a commercial, Simonini read for the part and impressed those casting the job. However when offered the gig, Simonini declined upon realizing he was siding with the tobacco industry. Like many in the healthcare field, Simonini believes the tobacco tax would do some good, helping to discourage some people–particularly minors–from smoking. “I’m a cardiologist. I can’t do that,” he was quoted as saying in the Times article.
Still Big Tobacco tried to entice Simonini, telling him that the initial $5,000 fee could double if his name could be used and he could be identified as a physician. Simonini added that he was told if the ad ran for the duration of the campaign, the pay would multiply accordingly. While he has student loans to repay, Simonini still respectfully declined.
“It would have been a feather for them to have a doctor come on board,” he said to The Times. “There are people working very cleverly to achieve their ends, to undermine what is good for us. Why?…So much is at stake.”
The Times published a chart of special interest payments ranging from $18,600 to $160,000 to authority figure spokespeople–or their “agents”– in order to help defeat or pass certain propositions. Paid endorsements can include TV and radio spots, mass mailings, press conferences and public appearances. Campaigns pay for such testimonials because they frequently work.
On the subject of these paid endorsements, Elisa Odabashian, West Coast director of the nonprofit Consumers Union, told The Times, “In the marketplace, consumers can get bamboozled in every direction. Unfortunately, the initiative process is a marketplace. It has become no different than selling a drug or a car. The idea is the product, and somebody is paying for it.”
“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