It’s not that often where a bigger-than-life pop culture event takes place that becomes positively buzzworthy. But that’s what “Barbenheimer” – a staged event by AMC Theaters – was about over the weekend.
Two different movies – not released on Netflix or Disney+ opened in movie theaters on the same weekend. Rather than competing with one another for box office revenues, AMC packaged them together, creating a rare event.
The last time I recalled two very different blockbusters opening on the same weekend was “The Dark Knight” and “Mamma Mia” back in 2008. As it turned out, both films did phenomenally well, but the storyline was about the drag race between the two, setting up a pop culture battle royale. Did couples go along with their spouse’s wishes? Did they compromise? Did they end up seeing both films over the weekend? The potential bits and topics write themselves.
‘Mamma Mia!’ and ‘The Dark Knight’ were both released 15 years ago today. pic.twitter.com/6ruT1Is9Ae
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 18, 2023
As it turned out, I had a market visit the Monday after, and took a flight that got me into town just in time to participate in a post-morning show meeting. I didn’t have a chance to monitor the show because I was in flight, so I asked the team what they did around the battle of these mega-hits. And they explained they gave it a brief mention during “Hollywood Trash” and pretty much ignored both films.
To which I asked the standard consultant question: “What were you thinking?” (Emphasis on the last word.)
And they responded, “We knew everyone in town would do lame bits around the two movies, so we decided to do other material today.”
I asked whether they had seen either or both films over the weekend. And they had not. It turned out only one cast member saw one of the featured films. And in the process of finding that out, the two main hosts admitted they hadn’t bothered to do what so many of their listeners did.
I won’t bore you with the details of the rest of the meeting or some of the subsequent conversations that occurred between me and the management team over the next couple days. Suffice it to say, the conclusion was that opportunities were lost, and that our show’s judgement was suspect, but also lazy.
Unlike a calendar event – Halloween, Mother’s Day, the first day of the school – these pop culture events are tests of a show’s ability to carpe diem – seize the moment. 
They are the moments when you learn about your personalities – their sensibilities, capabilities, and ability to read the room. How they handle these moments speaks volumes about their instincts, their talent, and their ability to manufacture content.
Fifteen years ago when “The Dark Knight” and “Mamma Mia” opened over the same weekend, radio station personalities were doing most of the heavy lifting – parody songs, battle of the sexes, listener phones – you name it.
This past weekend was no different – except it was. The pre-buzz around the simultaneous release of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” was stoked not only by the vast PR machines associated with both films’ studios, but also AMC Theaters, who created the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, elevating the moment.
Today, everybody is in on the act. And to a great degree we have social media to thank. As l learned from Lori Lewis during her great run with our company, social media allows any brand to become a marketer. Who steps up? Who meets the moment? Who gets creative? Who connects with the audience in a unique and memorable way? Who can come up with the best material and treatment?
The fact is, this pop culture event has been percolating for weeks, generating buzz and conversation. “Barbenheimer” has been all over social media, amping up our interest, as millions began to make plans around either movie – or both of them: parties, get-togethers, lookalike contests, and other events.
And think about this: all of this “noise” was supporting an industry that is by all accounts, highly endangered. Even pre-COVID, attendance at movie theaters and multiplexes was waning. As more and more people purchased Internet-connected TVs these past few years, the home viewing environment gets better and better – for less money. And movie theater-going was on the ropes.
As we learned this year in Techsurvey 2023, seven of every ten respondents own a smart television – an all-time high. The screens get bigger, the resolution get more brilliant, their sound gets more spectacular and spatial, and the rooms in which they go in – media centers, man caves – get more impressive with each passing year.
Each year at CES, we are treated to the most amazing video screen technology, courtesy of companies like LG, Samsung, and so many others. OLED screens and 8K resolution produce ooh’s and ah’s. The home viewing experience gets better – and more affordable – with each passing year, disincentivizing consumers to schlep to a theater and pay big dollars to put up with sticky floors, overpriced refreshments, and people talking during the film.
But it gets worse. The pandemic signaled what might have been the death knell for movie theaters, encouraging all of us to stay home. Even as the virus subsided, the thought of going into a dark, crowded theater to watch a movie you could enjoy safely at home didn’t seem like a great idea.
Which is why this story isn’t just about pop culture – it’s about innovation. When a media platform is down and beaten up, a great idea can be a difference maker.
As a story in Quartz trumpeted, “No one needs Barbenheimer more than AMC.” And as I wrote this post, it appears that more than 40,000 passes that included admission to both films were sold. But the phenomenon was bigger than that, also spawning merch, memes, gifs, cartoons, jokes, and comedy bits.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. The “earned media” – pretty much non-existent in 2008 – was through the roof these past few weeks and all weekend long for this manufactured movie event.
And heeding Lori’s word, all sorts of brands, personalities, and organizations jumped on the “Barbenheimer” bandwagon, including one savvy governor. During a time when most political discourse is somewhere between disgusting and vile, Michigan’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer, seized the moment.
Spoiler alert: My 5th bipartisan education budget is the best one yet! This real-world funding will help us build a brighter future.
With the highest per-student funding in Michigan history, our kids can be anything they want to be. pic.twitter.com/7eqfytnJMg
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) July 20, 2023
Everyone’s a marketer now. And thanks to the user-friendly digital tool kit, anyone with a smart phone can shoot and edit video, create podcasts, utilize social media platforms, and become marketing engines. No longer can just TV and radio stations and recording studio create content. The process has been democratized.
And despite these vast changes to the media landscape, the central challenge remains the same. Who can marshal creativity, cleverness, innovation, and timeliness to not just capture, but to win the moment?
What did your show do today to gain an edge in the “Barbenheimer” challenge? And will you be ready the next time a promotional gift basket shows up on your front door?
Tell me about your “Barbenheimer” bit.
Next month, it’s the Morning Show Boot Camp. There will be an all-new “Battle of the Bits” teed up for attendees. I’ll also be kicking off the conference with our summary of AQ5, radio’s first and only study of air talent. Info and registration for MSBC 35 in Dallas here.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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When I went yesterday to see “Oppenheimer”,I noted the movie runtime was three hours.That was a lot of time,so I didn’t bother with the “Barbie” movie.I will se it this coming weekend.
“Oppenheimer” was a great movie,but there is a lot to unpack with the various principals involved with the main character.Louis Strauss,Edward Teller and General Groves had their own stories that could fill several books.There was a lot to think about and discuss,so I am glad I saw that movie by itself.