As a tactical exercise, Desert Storm pales in comparison with some studios' Oscar campaigns. Others? Well, Waterloo comes to mind. Herewith, two case studies in recent marketing strategies:
THE FALL OF THE SHOO-INS Insiders are scratching their heads over what turned once-surefire contenders like Evita and Ghosts of Mississippi into titles non grata with Academy voters. The most striking example: Fox's The Crucible, which at one point was expected to clean up. Though the film did pick up nods for supporting actress Joan Allen and screenwriter Arthur Miller, even Fox insiders admit the showing ''was a fabulously great disappointment.'' What went wrong? ''When the [buzz began], this hot film was playing at a single theater in New York,'' says an Oscar strategist at a rival studio. ''How was anyone going to see it?'' And when The Crucible's release widened, its hype was deadened by mixed reviews. ''The movie got caught in its own non-momentum,'' says a Fox executive. Soon, the 17th-century period piece seemed like, well, ancient history.
THE RISE OF THE ANTI-CRUISE While Fox made nothing out of something, Miramax is spinning something out of a nobody with Sling Blade, for which writer-director-star Billy Bob Thornton snagged Best Actor and Screenplay nods. The studio has orchestrated such a heavy PR blitz for Thornton -- now a party and talk-show regular -- that he missed a script reading for his next film, Primary Colors. Miramax has also freshened up the film's ads, which now bill the leisurely paced story as a ''thriller'' and feature an attractive, out-of-character Thornton. ''It's a way to call attention to what an amazing transformation [his role] is,'' says Miramax marketing chief Mark Gill. And two weeks ago, the actor got publicity money can't buy: He nabbed a thief while traveling by train. Someone ought to warn Best Actor nominee and Samaritan Tom Cruise to watch his back.
-- Chris Nashawaty, with reporting by Pat H. Broeske and David Poland
