Competitive Edge - Sports & Entertainment Marketing News

Who are the people smiling at baseball games? Horror movie ‘Smile’ plants actors in MLB stadiums as marketing stunt

Summer is nearly over, which means it’s time to transition into Spooky Season. Baseball appears to be doing so a bit before October, as MLB fans have noticed people sitting stock-still behind home plate holding some creepy smiles for the duration of the game.

Click here to read the story at sportingnews.com.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is publicity?
  2. Why is publicity important to a film release at the box office?
  3. How can publicity impact a film at the box office?
  4. What is a marketing stunt?
  5. Why do studios engage in marketing stunts leading up to the release of a film?
  6. Why do you think the horror genre is known for marketing stunts to promote films?
  7. Describe Paramount Pictures’ marketing stunt for the ‘Smile’ film based on information from this news story.
  8. Do you think the studio accomplished what they’d hoped to with this stunt? Why or why not?
  9. Have you seen any other promotion of the film? If so, where?
  10. What else could the studio do to promote the film?
Chris Lindauer
After working for nearly a decade in professional sports, Chris Lindauer, formed Sports Career Consulting to provide unique sports business education opportunities in and out of the classroom. In the eighteen years (and counting) that followed, Chris has inspired thousands of students to pursue their passions and explore the career of their dreams. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, two teenage daughters and their dog.

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