Saturday, April 08, 2006

But No Toy with My Happy Coffee :-( ...

There are many words one might use to describe their local Starbucks ... "verbose" wasn't one of them ... at least, until now ...

Words are everywhere ... on posters in the window, on the walls, on coasters, on promotional handouts and flash cards at your table, everywhere ...

Starbucks has become the latest food-service chain to enter into a promotional agreement with a film ... in this case, a new release from
Lion's Gate Films ... "Akeelah and the Bee" ... described as "a heart-warming, triumph-over adversity drama" that centers on "a precocious eleven-year-old girl, Akeelah Anderson, from south Los Angeles, who is discovered to have a talent for words."

It's an interesting idea ... obviously, a promotional tie-in with Starbucks isn't going to give a film the exposure it would receive from a tie-in, say, with McDonald's or Burger King. But, is it possible that such an agreement will give the film A LOT of exposure with an audience that's more likely to go see it? ... (having said that, though, is it possible that Starbucks' demographics might be changing as its location strategies and marketing change, and as it become more mainstream, in part, through the emulation of other outlets for coffee?) ...

I'll be looking forward to seeing if Starbucks tries this some more ... their music marketing has caught on, so, why not film marketing, as well?

I'm also planning on seeing the film ... IF it comes to a local screen ...

While we're waiting, try the following ... read the following words aloud to someone nearby, and see if they can spell them ... and YOU try defining them ... (four of them weren't recognized by Blogger's Spellcheck) ...

ambidextrous
brunneous
lyceum
pulchitrude
succedaneum

3 comments:

Jim Jannotti said...

Jeff,

How come you didn't include archeotexture in the list?

Jim Jannotti said...

...especially since I can't spell it correctly.

Jeff said...

Welcome, Jim. That IS a tough one ... always have to ask for a definition ... or have the pronouncer use it in a sentence ...

The words I listed, by the way, are from Starbucks' promotion on the film ... from the flashcards in the store, and a pop-up on their website ...

Hope all is well with you and yours ... has spring sprung yet, there, in Pennsylvania?