PR Hits the Big Screen

                                                                   (source: imdb.com)

Like many others this past weekend, I went to the movie theater to see the next installment of The Hunger Games movies, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part One.

As someone who has read the books many times, I knew what to expect. However, what I had forgotten was how large of a role PR plays in novel.

The plot follows the citizens of an impoverished, post-apocalyptic America (known as Panem) as they start a revolution against the Capitol, a sector of Panem that controls most of the wealth in the land and forces children to fight to the death in the Hunger Games.

One of the challenges faced by the revolting citizens is recruitment of other citizens throughout the country. Desperate to recruit more individuals to fight against the oppressive Capitol, leaders of the rebellion enlist a team of “directors” to lead the campaign in recruitment by shooting propaganda videos and broadcasting them to the entirety of Panem.

As an aspiring public relations professional, I was excited to see a representation of our field in a movie that isn't set in a glamorous environment.

Unfortunately, when most people think of PR, they think of Samantha Jones from Sex in the City. The glamorous, beautiful, and successful character is rarely featured in a work crisis throughout the entire series, and most of the references to her job are through the amazing opportunities she gets through clients (special parties, play premieres, etc.).

For real PR folk, it is apparent that our lives will never be that of Samantha Jones, but with this new representation in cinema, things are looking up.

Of course, there hasn't been a revolution as large as the one in The Hunger Games series in our lifetime, however, there are smaller revolutions that take place every day in our country that need leaders to promote.

Whether this is a non-profit organization rallying for the end of smoking or a political party advocating for taxes on junk food, there is always a need for a public relations specialist to lead the fight for a new value in our country.

Have you been inspired by a movie or TV show’s representation of PR? Let us know in the comments!

Lionsgate plays the Marketing Game for "The Hunger Games"

May the odds ever be in your favor...especially if you're on the marketing team for what is sure to be a movie phenomenon, the Hunger Games, which come out this Friday in theaters. Overshadowing Twilight, the Hunger Games is projected to have opening-weekend sales of about $90 million, according to the New York Times. The film coming out on Friday, will be the first of four, based on the book trilogy written by Suzanne Collins.

Lionsgate has adapted their movie promotion to younger audiences by having an extremely strong online presence. They have been maintaining a very active Facebook and Twitter page, as well as a YouTube channel, Tumblr blog, iPhone games and live streaming from the movie premiere through Yahoo.

The film's popularity is backed up by the fan base of the books, even with the somewhat graphic nature of the content. The book can be found on lower-level reading lists, but with the intensity of the marketing plan since last summer, they seem to be selling for more the books as well as hyping up the film.

Since the marketing campaign began, TheCapital.pn (The Capital is where the Hunger Games take place), the site has allowed fans to make their own ID cards as if they lived in the movie's futuristic society. More than 800,000 people have created them. The iTunes release of the movie trailer received eight million views in the first 24 hours it was available. The campaign also utilized Twitter to make digital "puzzle pieces" of the new movie poster for fans to find throughout 100 websites. Needless to say, there shouldn't be a problem getting these viewers into theaters.

As this week is the opening week, look out for ticket giveaways, updates to the Tumblr blog, "Capital Couture" and a Facebook game. To read the rest of the NYT article, click here.

Will you be seeing the Hunger Games this week? Have you participated in any of their marketing tactics?