Over at www.alvinsaldanha.me, Alvin Saldanha writes on hemlines and the economy.
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ufficiently impressed with Wolverine the movie (helps that I am a Japan fan) I did what I usually do AFTER seeing a movie I like: started reading it up. On Wikipedia, reading of the first movie, I discovered an amazing para regarding opening day collections of Wolverine: X Men Origins:
"However, in an article for the "piracy issue" of Screen International magazine, film critic John Hazelton was doubtful of this explanation, writing that the film's initial performance was "uncertain" as the outbreak of swine flu in territories with the worst piracy problems means that other territories did not compare at all."
"However, in an article for the "piracy issue" of Screen International magazine, film critic John Hazelton was doubtful of this explanation, writing that the film's initial performance was "uncertain" as the outbreak of swine flu in territories with the worst piracy problems means that other territories did not compare at all."
Dang, whoever though our world was THIS connected/interdependant. Of course, with a virus outbreak, movie attendance will dim, but in all the knowing that phenomenon of one incident having a unexpected effect on another industry, I hadn't put swine flu and opening weekends of movies together.
In advertising, one of the more 'barometric industries', we watch for this. There is no knowing what will affect the brands you have. We know an effect is anticupated when our clients calls at a very odd hour and evenly commands: "Stop all advertising".
There is an old discussions about the correlation between hemlines and the economy. Put simply, it is theorised that hemlines go up in economical upswings and down when the economy falters. One argument being made is that the buoyancy of the enviornment in an upswing inspires the human spirit to live 'on the edge' so to speak, and the caution that weighs down the spirit in a downswing moves us to 'wrap our lothes around us tighter to ward off the evil chill'. There mayt be some logic there, and a google search immediately clocks it at least 37000 entries, including the irate point of view that this is a myth. I'd put my money on it being not ...
We are a 'mainline' + pharma advertising agency and we have enough of a splay of accounts to realise that our pharma clients making drugs for sleeplessness, anxiety, hypertension and acidity gear UP for an UPSWING in sales when the economy goes down. Friends at agencies with condom brands have concurred. People actively recaibrate their lives according to the enviornment. They draw the wagons and bolt the doors. Cinema houses start offering morning Rs 100 only tickets. Roadside vendors know that customers will shop from the street looking for easier prices.
Just sayin' ..... its seems to be starting again.
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