To Mr. Crabs,

 

In order to market Spirited Away to a modern American audience, I believe we should pursue an archetypal marketing strategy focused on a psychoanalytic understanding of the movie. Of course, you know that Spirited Away is a Japanese animated film, and ostensibly presents an experience and culture unrelatable to American audiences.  As such, in order to connect the film to American audiences, we must emphasize the threads that make the movie similar to what American audiences are accustomed too.  Movies, at their core, are stories. More often than not, these stories have mythological origins, and threads that connect them. This is because these stories evolve from, if not a collective unconscious, a shared an unified human experience that knows no borders between countries.  These stories are ultimately relatable to all of humanity. In terms of Spirited Away, the mythological core can be found in the strong presence of the Hero’s Journey. This Hero’s Journey is a mythological motif found in both American and foreign films. By focusing on Chihiro’s metamorphosis, and trials, we can market this foreign film to an American market that is shifting towards a more isolationist and nationalistic mindset.  It would also be useful to allude, without directly referencing, the undertones of sexual initiation found in the film. Without openly marketing the movie as being about sex, which would likely conflict with the younger market, it would be poignant to suggest these undertones. For many teens undergoing puberty that are conflicted and struggling to understand their own initiation into adulthood, the movie could serve not as a guide, but as an abstract model for understanding the changes in their social and personal lives.  Also, many elements of Spirited Away are drawn directly from Japanese mythology.  The spirits and sourcereces are all typical of Japanese mythology, and strike uncanny resemblances to western myths.  That is because these characters are archetypal, they fill a particular role in many different stories. By focusing on the archetypal nature of the characters, you will make them more relatable to Western viewers

 

Please give me a raise,

Alex Foyt

To Mr. Mundt,

Using a structuralist approach to market The Thin Red Line is a good financial decision because it gets to a conflict that everyone has to deal with: the struggle between good and bad, chaos and order.

At the heart of this film is man’s struggle between the good and the bad. We see men brought down to the level of animals because of war. We see men turned cynical, angry at the heartlessness they perceive in the world. But we also see men who love and who still believe in the power to do good even in a world that doesn’t seem to care. Though a war film – and a very amazing one at that – the deeper messages of the film lie in man’s struggle between two forces, a struggle universal in scope. Everyone, whether they’re conscious of it or not, has these internal struggles within themselves. We all are capable of terrible things, as war demonstrates, but we are also able to control it and do good regardless.

By marketing the film in a structuralist way, with the mediation of dichotomies, we not only appeal to war film fans or Terrence Malick fans (let’s be honest, most people who watch this film are Terrence Malick fans), but also those who are looking for an answer to or an example of this internal struggle. Which is basically everyone.

I really think this could be a good strategy. Let me know what you think!

Best, Jesse

 

Dear Mr. Hundt:

I think a nationalist approach to market Avatar is the best financial decision because it revamps the already well-known story and gives it a deeper meaning within two different communities. It pools the population of indigenous people together and protects their image against a group representative of the United States who are targeting/deforesting indigenous territory. By bringing the story back with emphasis on this mythic aspect, we can excite the audience in a different way than the first time the movie was played in theaters.

Today, a lot of the issues presented in the movie are happening in real life so by bringing this movie back in this way, we can entice the audience to buy the movie and to also stand alongside indigenous people who are still being targeted today. The indigenous territory that is being targeted today is a compelling reason for an audience to pay attention to stories about these same issues.

Another reason to advertise in this way is that most stories aren’t compared to myth unless they explicitly tell the story of a famous myth. This approach is good and fresh and fun. It widens the spectrum of what can be considered to be myth and allows for another category of myth to be highlighted; archetypes. These are lessons or concepts that can be universally applied to stories or even people’s lives. For example, greed is a prominent motif in Avatar and teaches the lesson that greed can send someone on a downward spiral.

Please let me know what you think.

Alyssa Goytia

To Mr. Mundt,

Using nationalist tradition to market Spirited Away is a good financial decision because of the way it connects Japanese viewers to their heritage and cultural history. The film plays heavily on tradition and spirituality and regards them as aspects of Japanese culture to be preserved at all costs.

Japan’s values are becoming a thing of the past. The country’s focus has changed from tradition and spirituality to urban expansion and material gain. Beautiful landscapes are being ravaged in order to build cities. Centuries-old rivers are being filled in with cement to construct roads and ancient religious monuments are being demolished to make room for new shopping centers. There are undoubtedly many people in Japan who are upset with these changes throughout the country, and advertising Spirited Away as a movie which brings these issues to light and makes a call to action for the preservation of Japan’s nature and forgotten values would surely be beneficial for sales amongst dissatisfied Japanese viewers.

While calling for the preservation of Japan’s values, Spirited Away also connects Japanese viewers with traditional Japanese folklore and mythology. This allows for an opportunity for the younger generations of viewers to learn about stories from their nation’s past, which also assists to relay the message of preservation of tradition. There are connections between almost all of the primary characters and their respective mythologies and folktales they are connected to. If we include Japanese mythology into our advertising campaign, it would be sure to spark interest in both the older and younger generation, as the parents of young children will want to expose their kids to the stories of their country. I hope you take these suggestions into consideration for your advertisement strategy, Mr. Mundt. Thank you for your time.

Best Regards,

Trevor Wells

To Mr. Mundt,

Using the archetypal theme of generational turnover to market Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel is a good financial decision because any other approach would not be as appealing to all audiences, and would not encapsulate all the film has to offer. If we try to market the movie as a war film or a historical film, only those interested in the history of Eastern Europe would feel compelled to watch it. If we try to market it as a romantic movie, we might lose a large part of our audience that is not interested in love stories. If we try to market it as an action movie with thrilling chase scenes, this again may isolate certain viewers who don’t like those types of films. Additionally, each of these approaches only encompass a fraction of the story that takes place in the movie. If we were to market the film using the myth I mentioned above, we would appeal to all audiences because every body can relate to it. Just think about it: every single person on this planet wants to leave a legacy, wants their children’s children to still talk about the things they did in their lifetime. The Grand Budapest Hotel is the story of two strangers who form a bond that transcends age, ethnicity, and all the struggles the pair encounter. How can anyone resist the charm of that story? Furthermore, this theme permeates the entirety of the movie so people won’t feel that it is a dishonest way of marketing the film, and they will (hopefully) recommend it to their friends. This movie tells the story that everyone wants and needs to hear.

Let me know what you think,

Natalia

To Mr Mundt.

I think using nationalist tradition to market the movie “Farewell my Concubine” is a good financial decision because of the unique connections it create among people who share the culture, but also because of its distinct features pertaining to a specific country, it is also attracting for people who do not share the same culture.

First, as an award-winning movie, Farewell My Concubine reveals a facet of Chinese history less known to outsiders but shared by most people’s family. This movie is both a love story, with constant referral to a historical story that most Chinese kids were taught in school, and a historical account of China in the 20th century, which the older generations in Chinese families have experienced. This movie has always been one of the most influential Chinese movies, featuring Leslie Cheung, the most popular and remembered Chinese actor. For Chinese people, this movie is definitely worthy for collection.

On the other hand, while most Americans are used to their own movies receiving awards at Cannes, seeing a Chinese movie pop up among all the western movies that received awards might be very intriguing. The embedded Chinese traditions and history in the movie, even though they are not shared by the Americans, could attract them just because of the fresh, exotic, non-traditional (in the American sense) feeling it brings to them. For Americans who thoroughly know all the twists and turns of Marvel hero stories, the taste of a foreign myth could just be more attractive.

For this movie, the nationalist approach is better than any other because this makes it distinct from most movies in the American market. We could also see nationalist movies rooted in a foreign background making success by looking at the Disney cartoons such as Mulan and Moana. This movie reveals the side of a foreign country that is not seen on news or cartoons.

Best,

Eva

To Mr. Mundt,

Using the nationalist approach to mythology to market The King’s Speech is a good financial decision because the movie itself is British nationalist propaganda.

In the most basic structure of the film, it exists as a recapturing of a moment of national strength, in which the leader of Great Britain overcame his own personal difficulties and to bring the nation together under radio in one of the hardest times of all. Through the structure of the film, the audience sees the parallels between the first speech Bertie gives at Wembley and the final speech in Buckingham Palace. We watch as the camera zooms into Bertie’s face, as the color palette surrounding him changes. At Wembley, the background is blue and cold; Bertie’s face reflects his own fear. At Buckingham Palace, the background is red and inviting; Bertie’s fact has a sort of resilience he didn’t have before. Watching these two scenes alone would spur the general public to put faith in the nation’s abilities, as one would be able to see exactly how much the government works for the good of the people. Heck, when I watched these two scenes, I felt a flood of British nationalism flowing through my blood.

Aside from the example that Bertie sets as a leader, there is also the authenticity of the set that captures an essence of national greatness. The cast and crew were incredibly dedicated to making this set look as realistic to old-day London as possible, which really embodied the sense of pre-WWII London. The fact that the city isn’t idealized with blue skies and clear streets intensifies the reality of the movie and puts the audience into the shoes of the common people who were in London at the time, peering up at the gray skies and dusty streets. This era, this pre-WWII era is in itself one of the moments in which nationalism in Great Britain was at its peak. Great Britain rallied together once again in order to fend of the threat of Nazism. Thus, being put back into that setting would incite the sense of nationalism that, in the face of fear, would fill the hearts of the British.

Mr. Mundt, while we may occasionally disagree on the future of this company, I can guarantee you that selling The King’s Speech as a nationalist approach to mythology is the best way to go about marketing for this movie. I understand that you sometimes dislike utilizing the most obvious approach, but in this case, the most obvious approach is the strongest approach. Who knows, maybe the movie will win an Oscar or something?

Best regards,
Kara

To Mr. Mundt,

Using archetypal mythic elements to market both Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 is a good financial decision because of its appeal to people’s own sense of heroism as normal humans, its ability to develop strong characters, and the pattern of the hero’s journey that has sold well historically.

The narrative of the movies flip the common standard. Typically, it is shown that the gods or people with supernatural power come out on top when engaged in a struggle with a weaker being, thus setting the precedent on how to act or “behave” as a member of the weak. In these movies, a band of normal humans band together, become friends, and triumphs over the powerful antagonist. This structure an anti-myth that promotes the idea that even normal individuals have agency and are not subordinate to the gods. Such a notion would be popular among many people, especially those who are younger, more liberal, or less religious.

Another drawing factor is the strong development of the characters. They fill multiple archetypal roles in the movie, including the anti-heros and the misfits. These characters are not simple perfect heros, all of them being unheroic to start. This provides an opportunity for Gunn to create compelling characters that have clear flaws, intriguing histories, but also growth. This allows the group of heros to elicit empathy out of the audience, who likely to connect to these characters and actually root for their victory. This will boost the appreciation and sales for the movie.

Finally, a smaller yet noteworthy reason to market this movie is that the movies roughly follow the archetypal pattern of the hero’s journey. From certain film student I know, this is one of the structures of a script that has an above average chance to sell, and I think it is a fact worth taking into your consideration.

In general, I feel highlighting archetypal traditions would be beneficial over other avenues of advertisement, because it would appeal to the audience’s sense of connection to the movies, both in its message and characters.

Shameek Mitra

To Mr. Mundt.

Using an archetypal approach to market Lady Bird is a good financial decision because it will allow adolescents and adults to recognize the value of the movie. As you know, Mr. Mundt our marketing company cannot succeed without high sales to both adults and adolescents. This will be easily achieved with Lady Bird if we focus on the universal and archetypal coming-of-age experience that is at the core of the movie.  My work-in-progress slogan is “Whether you’re coming-of-age or age is coming for you, you’ll love Lady Bird.” The overall goal of this campaign will be to convince adults that there is more to the story than teenage angst. We could do this, for example, by highlighting the archetypal conflict between mother and daughter. Whether the audience is closer in age to the mother or the daughter, there will be a connection. Of course, this may lead the audience to consider Lady Bird a “chick flick,” but I have a solution. We can use the critical acclaim for Lady Bird to refute such a claim. In particular, we can use A.O. Scott’s review that claims “What Ms. Gerwig has done… is to infuse one of the most convention-bound, rose-colored genres in American cinema with freshness and surprise.” This quote not only prevents the audience from dismissing Lady Bird; it also entices long-time viewers of the genre. As you can see, Mr. Mundt, an archetypal approach will attract the viewership the company will need by tapping into the universal appeal of the movie. I am sure that this will be more successful than whatever Dave has proposed, so I look forward to discussing this marketing campaign in our meeting tomorrow.

Best,

Elija

Dear Mr. Mundt,

I was fairly surprised to hear we are planning to re-release Iron Man 3, mostly because we kind of killed it last time. The original promotion did a good job bringing people to the movie, and now that the general audience knows the big reveal, marketing it the same way just will not work.

But, I have an idea that will make everyone tons of money! We market it as a rom-com. Tony and Pepper’s relationship was one of the crucial elements of this story, so if we get people excited to focus on that relationship they will want to see the movie a second time from this different perspective.

(What do you mean Kevin said no to a rom-com promotion? You are telling me I spent fifteen hours this week storyboarding a trailer that’s already been shut down by the higher-ups? FU-)

Okay, turns out I need a different strategy. So, last time we portrayed it as a nationalist movie –  America versus a foreign terrorist – with Tony’s character arc being caught within this greater conflict. But since the audience knows the truth about this supposed “terrorist”, using an archetypical lense will be more financially viable because it centers the focus on Tony’s arc.

This will be more effective for three reasons: first, the audience is informed of the Mandarin reveal. Teasing a conflict between Tony and the Mandarin will not work because audiences already know this conflict is a farce.

Secondly, Tony’s battle with PTSD following the attack on New York is the most compelling aspect of the film now that the audiences know who the real Mandarin is.

Finally, due to Tony’s relevance in Avengers: Endgame, people will be seeing this movie because of him. People want to remember Tony Stark’s character arc throughout his first three movies now more than ever.

Marketing this movie by focusing on Tony’s character arc through an archetypical lense will be most effective because the audiences are informed about the identity of the Mandarin and because audiences at the moment care more about Tony himself than some villain from early phase 2.