Success measured

-----------------------
The content on this webpage contains paid/affiliate links. When you click on any of our affiliate link, we/I may get a small compensation at no cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure for more info
-----------------------

Last updated on July 16th, 2017 at 12:45 pm

Arctic Tale is an epic flop:

The polar bears of “Arctic Tale” have gotten a chilly reception in movie theaters despite Starbucks Corp.‘s serving up promotional materials in thousands of its stores …

Costing less than $5 million to produce, the film has grossed roughly $600,000 domestically since its release July 25.

Cue some “failure but success” spin from Starbucks:

Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment, said he was proud of the “Arctic Tale” campaign, noting that it was aimed at spreading a social message rather than driving ticket sales.

“Our measurement of success was not the box office,” Lombard said. “Our measurement of success was to do as much as we could to encourage discussion around the critical issue of today—global warming.”

Kind of hard to discuss it if nobody’s seen the movie, Lombard.

Posted by Tim B. on 08/27/2007 at 10:50 AM
    1. “Our measurement of success was to do as much as we could to encourage discussion around the critical issue of today—global warming.”

      Hey Lombard! Never mind that crap. When are you going to start making some decent coffee? That bilge water you currently peddle smells like a skunk’s butt and tastes like nasal discharge from a hog with a sinus infection. Also, I don’t need coffee served at the temperature of lava. 30 or 40 degrees lower than boiling should be fine. And one more thing, lower the price by $20 a cup and I might consider buying some.
      I really hate Starbucks.
      They donated a bunch of coffee to the Red Cross to hand out to soldiers in Iraq. I went with some guys to pick up some for our unit. The stuff had expired 2 years earlier. Gee, thanks Starbucks. I got better (and fresher) coffee from an Iraqi vendor.

      Posted by Texas Bob on 2007 08 27 at 11:01 AM • permalink

 

    1. I think it proves how effective the raising of awareness and discussion was.

      Obviously everyone stayed home to talk about global warming instead of buring fossil fuels to travel to movie theatres to see the movie!

      Its a total success!!!

      Posted by Baron on 2007 08 27 at 11:34 AM • permalink

 

    1. “Our measurement of success was to do as much as we could to encourage discussion around the critical issue of today—global warming.”

      They could have just directed people to this blog, and saved $5M. Discuss away!

      Posted by Harry Bergeron on 2007 08 27 at 11:58 AM • permalink

 

    1. It is instructive that in Australia, a “LOMBARD” is a term for someone who is described thus – “Lot Of Money, But A Real D**khead”.  Suits, somehow.

      Posted by SezaGeoff on 2007 08 27 at 12:18 PM • permalink

 

    1. Perhaps someone could have asked Mr. Lombard what Starbucks considers more important – the warming of the earth’s atmosphere by a few degress, or their complicity in enabling misogynistic regimes (their allowance of Starbucks in Saudi Arabia to restrict women to the backrooms of all of their stores), and their cultural defamation by having that green – tinted atrocity in the center of The Forbidden City in China. Howard Schultz is a hypocritical ass.

      Posted by DMac on 2007 08 27 at 12:55 PM • permalink

 

    1. Well, if you don’t want any Starbucks coffee “coffee”, Texas Bob, how about eating some Al Gore? (The next time you’re back in Oz.)

      Posted by andycanuck on 2007 08 27 at 01:25 PM • permalink

 

    1. “Our measurement of success was to do as much as we could to encourage discussion around the critical issue of today—global warming.”

      No audience means it failed on this level too, dickwad. As for Starbucks coffee, never tried it – and never will now.

      Posted by Contrail on 2007 08 27 at 06:44 PM • permalink

 

    1. A lot of money is being wasted with security for the upcoming APEC conference in Sydney, when all that is required to keep people away is some kind of global warming event.

      Posted by Margos Maid on 2007 08 27 at 08:25 PM • permalink

 

    1. #8

      Margos, STOP IT. You’ve gotta give me some warning.

      I just sprayed the bloody screen with coffee!

      MarkL
      Canberra

      Posted by MarkL on 2007 08 27 at 08:36 PM • permalink

 

    1. Starbucks is certainly helping to ensure there’s global warming: they just opened a drive-thru near me.

      Posted by rbj1 on 2007 08 27 at 08:50 PM • permalink

 

    1. I remember getting this global warming shit piped down our throats in secondary school in the 90s.  I thought we’d grown out of it.  Apparently it goes in cycles.

      Posted by aaron_ on 2007 08 27 at 10:07 PM • permalink

 

    1. I just sprayed the bloody screen with coffee!

      Starbucks coffee?

      Posted by triticale on 2007 08 27 at 10:17 PM • permalink

 

    1. Well, I have to disagree—I get my Starbucks at least once a day, and it’s “good” coffee everytime.

      No, not always great, but never, ever, ever lousy.  Sorry to be adamant, but I’ve got several billion facts on my side—they didn’t get where they are today by serving mud.

      But I was definitely floored in the recent past to discover their propagandizing me about polar bears and global-Goreing, I will admit.

      One bit of advice they had for me, (to help prevent decimating the polar bears habitat):  “Cut your shower time by two minutes”.  I swear to God.

      Since my showers generally last only a minute and a half, (what, I shouldn’t be this efficient after a lifetime of practice?), I take that to mean that I should cease showering altogether.  Right?

      Quite a heavy burden these bears are putting on me, I must say.

      Posted by zeppenwolf on 2007 08 27 at 10:31 PM • permalink

 

    1. LOMBARD – Lots Of Marketing But A Real Disappointment.

      Posted by Hump B Bare on 2007 08 28 at 06:46 AM • permalink

 

    1. #13 – Starbucks didn’t get there serving mud they got there serving Americans.

      Could have done both in my opinion.

      Posted by Hump B Bare on 2007 08 28 at 06:49 AM • permalink

 

    1. LOMBARD = Lots Of Money But A Real Dickhead

      Posted by geojoe on 2007 08 28 at 11:44 PM • permalink

 

  1. Of course Starbucks got where they got serving mud. It’s fresh ground!

    Posted by Attmay on 2007 08 31 at 07:20 AM • permalink