Arthur Christmas
I've just seenÌý"Arthur Christmas". Yes, I know the dreaded C word shouldn't really be uttered until at least next week, but, rather than brave a wet playpark with my offspring, I took the selfish option and opted for seats, popcorn (for them) a coffee (for me)Ìýand 1 hour 46 mins of 3d distraction. And you know what? It was worth it. It's from the Wallace and Gromit Aardman Animations stable, but with extra money and Hollywood muscle under its belt. And it's that extra money that interested me. Especially when, in one scene (spoiler alert), the eponymous Arthur crash lands in an English village and for about 5 seconds glides past (it has been snowing) a Co-Operative Foodstore. You couldn't buy that advertising. Or maybe you could? So I checked online, putting inÌýquestionÌý "Why is the Co-op in the new Arthur Christmas movie?". And there hasn't been that much mention yet.ÌýBut on Twitter @rupertjones declares product placement is all the rage, from a Nationwide ATM in Corrie to "aÌýCo-op store makes bizarre appearance in new film Arthur Christmas".Ìý
If Aardman didn't get money from the Co-op they missed a trick. What an amazing way to advertise and to get a film made.
Recently on Arts Extra I had Cahoots NI on. They're the incredibly talented children's theatre company based in Belfast, run by Paul McAnaney. "Egg" was their latest production, an incredible tour de force of mime, music and puppetry. My two-were spell bound by it. But what interested me was the local egg company, Skea, who had come in behindÌýCahootsÌýto finance the shows. It was a win-win situation, Cahoots got cash to stage a super show, Skea got PR and the chance to openly promote their new egg range in the foyer of the LyricÌýTheatre Belfast. A few years ago, the idea of openly celebrating a sponsor would have been seen as somewhat vulgar. Yes, we'll take your money, just don't ask us to have to say your name at every turn. Now, in the face of government funding cuts,Ìýthe idea of openly seeking your own patronage is pretty much the only way to see your creative idea realised. The Foyle Film Festival is a case in point, having for many years been the Seagate Foyle Film Festival, this year it kicks off with no Seagate and a radically reduced programme. While Arthur Christmas slid past the Co-operative Store, I stopped off at mine on the way home. Sublimal advertising or what?
Recently on Arts Extra I had Cahoots NI on. They're the incredibly talented children's theatre company based in Belfast, run by Paul McAnaney. "Egg" was their latest production, an incredible tour de force of mime, music and puppetry. My two-were spell bound by it. But what interested me was the local egg company, Skea, who had come in behindÌýCahootsÌýto finance the shows. It was a win-win situation, Cahoots got cash to stage a super show, Skea got PR and the chance to openly promote their new egg range in the foyer of the LyricÌýTheatre Belfast. A few years ago, the idea of openly celebrating a sponsor would have been seen as somewhat vulgar. Yes, we'll take your money, just don't ask us to have to say your name at every turn. Now, in the face of government funding cuts,Ìýthe idea of openly seeking your own patronage is pretty much the only way to see your creative idea realised. The Foyle Film Festival is a case in point, having for many years been the Seagate Foyle Film Festival, this year it kicks off with no Seagate and a radically reduced programme. While Arthur Christmas slid past the Co-operative Store, I stopped off at mine on the way home. Sublimal advertising or what?
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