The marketing strategy for "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" faced numerous challenges and inconsistencies, even before the film's release. One critic had to navigate through three unfamiliar press agents from Warner Bros. just to secure a screening. Similarly, members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association were surprised to find that they had to watch a double feature, with "Cats & Dogs" preceding "A.I."
These unusual events highlight the contradictions in the film's promotional efforts. The mixed box office results suggest that these missteps may have played a role. "A.I." divided critics and industry professionals, with some feeling it could have been marketed to a broader audience. Others criticized the commercials for focusing too much on child star Haley Joel Osment, leading viewers to expect a more family-friendly film.
However, a third group, including some rival studio executives, praised the campaign's cerebral, adult-oriented tone, arguing that there was no need to cater to younger audiences who might not appreciate the film's subtleties. Part of the ambiguity in the marketing was intentional, as Steven Spielberg withheld key images and plot points to pique curiosity.
In the weeks leading up to the release, the studio shifted its campaign to target an older, college-aged audience after tracking studies revealed that males over 25 were the film's biggest fans. TV ads were adjusted to move away from the Osment character and adopt a darker, edgier feel. A top Warner Bros. executive noted, "We’ve shifted things a little. We had tried to make as broad of a campaign as possible, but now we know where the audience is."
The decision to use a teaser campaign was partly to provoke interest, but it also created confusion about whether the film was for children or adults. The true measure of the film's marketing success lies in its box office performance. "A.I." opened domestically on June 29, grossing $29.4 million over three days and $42.7 million over six days, thanks to the Independence Day weekend. While this was impressive for an offbeat summer film, it was considered underwhelming for a Spielberg production, especially compared to "Saving Private Ryan," which grossed $45.4 million in six days despite its R rating.
The film's second-weekend drop of 52% to $14.1 million raised questions about its long-term prospects. Warner Bros. and DreamWorks split the production costs and box office revenue, with DreamWorks holding major ancillary rights. Final versions of the film were only available to Warner Bros. executives a few weeks before the release, adding to the marketing challenges.
Spielberg's approach of keeping the film's content a secret, similar to his past campaigns for "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "E.T.," was intensified for "A.I." as a tribute to Stanley Kubrick, who originally conceived the project. This secretive approach was felt at the annual ShoWest trade show, where Warner Bros. offered a clip that provided little more than a graphics-laden title sequence.
The marketing department, already stretched thin with over 30 film releases, hired temporary publicists to handle the increased workload. Some insiders suggested that the joint screenings of "A.I." and "Cats & Dogs" were a result of trying to manage too much with limited resources. Despite these challenges, Warner Bros. maintained that the double features were exceptions, necessitated by the tight two-and-a-half-week window for media screenings.
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