“Up in the Air” with the New Age of Marketing

Last Saturday, I attended a press junket for the new George Clooney flick, “Up in the Air”. I was excited about the movie, but I was more excited about how the film would be shown. A group of journalists and bloggers from various publications were being taken on a chartered American Airlines plane to watch “Up in the Air” literally up in the air. While it’s believed that this isn’t the first promotion of it’s kind, you’ve got to admit, it’s pretty darned unique.

The hospitality shown by the AA staff was five-star, as was the food which consisted of an appetizer of prosciutto topped with Parmesan cheese and cantaloupe puree and a Romaine arugula spinach salad with fresh mozzarella and balsamic vinaigrette. For the entree, I chose the Chauteaubriand with Olive Demi-Glace with asiago mashed potatoes and a tomato and fennel sauce. Desert was a hot fudge sundae. And I fell in love with the Red Zinfandel they served and had a few glasses of Moet.  And all this was before we even saw the movie.

So why am I telling you all this? Because it impressed me. Not the food and the drinks, not the complimentary pair of Bose QuietComfort 15 Noise Canceling headphones (stayed tuned for the review!), not even being put up in the Beverly Hilton impressed me as much reserving a 747 for approximately 20 people to stay with a theme. Everyone talks so much about marketing and branding and being unique, but at the end of the day people and companies are tied to the same old tried and true methods of getting the word out.

Social media has become old hat, with almost every big name movie having a Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace page. Depending on events, it becomes the same old drinks and schmoozing fest with the same folks, if you’re a media person. Paramount Pictures and American Airlines teamed up to do something special and out of the box and I applaud them for their efforts. Marketing and promotion pushes should never feel like a wash, rinse, and repeat thing, I get bored and its on marketing companies to prove that their products are worth my pen ink and my audience’s valuable time. The swag is always great, but don’t mean bunk if the product sucks.

So with all that said, you’re probably wondering how was the movie, right? Well good old George never disappoints. According to the film’s website,

From Jason Reitman, the Oscar® nominated director of “Juno,” comes a dramatic comedy called “Up in the Air” starring Oscar® winner George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and after he’s met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams.

I’ll be honest, I was scared “Up in the Air” was going to be a hokey rom-com. While there is a romance in the movie it’s not based on improbable situations and quirky female characters. The ending isn’t happy, but it’s realistic. As a two-time survivor of being laid off,  I could relate to the shock, hurt and the panic of being let go. I was drawn in by the naivete of Anna Kendrick’s character on what a romantic relationship should entail and charmed as usual by Clooney’s unflappable yet vulnerable demeanor. It’s not a date movie per se, but it’s a real one — a real good movie that you should check out if you want to see something besides the over-the-top action flicks that have been dominating Hollywood as of late.  And if you don’t see it for that, please see it for Tamala Jones’ awesomely jarring performance.

About the Author
Sherri is a freelance writer that has a love of all things fun and geeky including gadgets, gaming, anime, and comics. When she isn't writing or out on the town living it up, she loves doing 10-12 hour marathon sessions on her Xbox 360 or one of her older consoles. It's not an addiction, it's a way of life!
See all posts by Sherri L. Smith.