If you aren’t already way too familiar with the phrase “Life is like a box of chocolates,” it’s not because Paramount Pictures isn’t trying.
Ever since “Forrest Gump” opened to rave reviews and long lines at the box office last July, journalists have made liberal use of the sunny simile when commenting on the movie’s success, which now includes 13 Academy Award nominations and three Golden Globes. America’s comedians, too, have had fun mimicking Tom Hanks, twisting his character’s earnest observations about life into unlikely permutations.
Paramount knows a good line when it hears one and it already has become an integral part of the company’s multimillion-dollar marketing campaign for the film’s April 28 home-video release. The Gumpism appears on the cover of a glossy eight-page brochure, otherwise dominated by a grouping of assorted bonbons, that recently went out in press kits and inside trade publications.
At this time last year, however, the future blockbuster itself represented the “box of chocolates,” and it was the studio that didn’t “know what it was gonna get” for its marketing efforts.
Publicly, executives predicted a hit. But privately, they were uncertain how much reach this bittersweet tale of a bumpkin Candide might have.
“We thought we had a very special, unique and wonderful movie that had not been made before,” said Barry London, vice chairman of Paramount’s motion picture group. “Since the movie was very hard to describe in one sentence then, and still is, there were a number of things that needed to be done to make people take notice of it.”
In March, theater owners were shown segments of the uncompleted film during screenings at their annual convention in Las Vegas. Then, in April, reporters were shown a rough full-length version. A “teaser” billboard campaign (“Gump happens July 6”) began in mid-May and preview trailers were shown on 9,000 screens.
“In addition, we bought a block of 60-second TV spots-historically, we use 30s-to get across the episodic nature of the movie,” said London. “A buzz was building and we elected to sneak preview the movie the Saturday before its Wednesday opening.
“The movie exploded at the box office,” he said. “We kept adding screens, from 1,400 on the opening Wednesday to 1,600 on Friday to 2,000 the following Friday.”
“Forrest Gump” would go on to gross $300 million and become the fifth-largest film of all time.
Days after the movie received its near-record 13 Oscar nominations on Feb. 14-including nods for best picture, actor, supporting actor and director-it was re-released into 1,100 theaters around the country.
This strategy has rung up another $6 million since Feb. 17. Now, it’s likely that “Forrest Gump” soon will overtake No. 4 “The Lion King,” which Disney released in video last week. (The top three are “E.T.,” “Jurassic Park” and “Star Wars.”)
When “Forrest Gump” does come out in video cassette and laserdisc, it will be supported by what Paramount calls the “largest advertising, merchandising and publicity campaign” in company history. The broadcast “blitz” will stretch from April 23 to July 4 and will, according to material going out to video retailers, “reach virtually every household in the U.S. and Canada an average of 10 times, delivering over 2.5 billion gross impressions!”
In choosing to market “Forrest Gump” as a “sell-through” title with a suggested retail price of $22.95, Paramount decided against an initial campaign directed specifically at renters, which would have put the price of the cassette closer to $100.
Research has indicated that consumers would be interested in owning this picture, instead of merely renting it, so it has been priced to sell. Popular movies aimed at the rental market can approach $100 a cassette.
“It’s a movie that has phenomenal repeatability in theaters,” London said, explaining why Paramount chose to target buyers, instead of renters.
Paramount also cites a National Research Group survey conducted last fall among VCR owners who had purchased a video cassette in the last 12 months. The poll indicated that-compared with such recent titles as “Speed,” “True Lies” and “The Mask”-“Forrest Gump” had a “definite purchase interest” second only to “The Lion King.”
“On a picture like this, there is a significant expectation for how the picture ought to perform,” said Eric Doctorow, president of worldwide video for Paramount Pictures. “By this point, it’s already a proven mega-movie. Therefore, whatever questions there were about the theatrical success are long behind us.
“So, the (the company’s) expectation is very high, and the responsibility to market this picture is quite significant as well. It’s a movie that’s an emotional experience for a lot of people.”
Paramount is anticipating video sales of more than 10 million units, which would double the output of its current top sellers, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” and “Wayne’s World.” To help reach this goal, a 90-day pay-per-view window has been established, meaning stores will have at least that much of a headstart on any showings on cable or direct-broadcast-satellite systems. Typically, a film won’t reach premium channels like HBO or Showtime for a year after its video release date.
Last fall, box-office hit “Jurassic Park”-No. 1 worldwide, No. 2 domestic-squared off in video stores against the classic “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” More than 20 million copies of each title were shipped out, with mixed results: “Snow White” is slowly moving to the top of the video heap, while MCA/Universal is hoping a recent price drop will boost interest in “Jurassic Park” sales.
Paramount may get an early indication of the strength of this year’s sell-through market now that Walt Disney Home Video has sent out an estimated 18 million units of “The Lion King” for a limited run.
The feature-length animated film, released both in June and November of 1994, was last year’s top-ranked theatrical product, grossing around $310 million. Some industry observers think sales totals might hit 30 million cassettes before the movie is pulled from circulation later this year.
(Disney often pulls its video hits after limited runs-a practice it has borrowed from the firm’s theatrical side-then brings them back periodically. “Snow White” will be pulled from circulation in April.)
“The Lion King” has a suggested retail price of $26.99, or $79.99 for a collector’s edition, featuring a “making-of” video and other material. Prices are subject to deep discounting in some large chains, however.
“We think `The Lion King’ will end up in very good company,” said Steven Feldstein, director of public relations for Walt Disney Home Video. He refused to set a target for the ultimate success of the movie but pointed out that current No. 1 “Aladdin” has sold 24 million units and “Beauty and the Beast” is at 22 million. Initial sales goals for “Snow White” were 27 million.
Disney’s media advertising campaign for “The Lion King” will be its biggest ever, said Feldstein, with network, cable and radio ads scheduled through mid-April. It also has teamed with Pillsbury, Mattel, Burger King and Ralston Foods for tie-in promotions that include coupons and rebates.
Paramount has chosen not to cross-promote “Forrest Gump” with another company.
“We wanted to make sure that whatever tie-in we did was appropriate for the film, that it would have been complementary,” said Doctorow.
It will, however, offer “Gumpisms, the Wit and Wisdom of Forrest Gump,” by Winston Groom, author of the novel on which the movie is based, to Blockbuster customers who pre-order a cassette.
