June 11, 2010, Newsletter Issue #167: "My Best Friend's Girl" was horrible or Know Your Audience

Tip of the Week

 I have a bad habit of forgetting what movies I have ordered from Netflix in the recent past.


It's a sickness.


Last week I opened my mailbox to the slim red envelope and got a little giddy at the thought of relaxing to a movie that night (I have been working a lot lately which means "no life"). I get in the house and open the envelope to reveal "Fred Clause".


"Fred Clause".


It's May in Louisiana and the temperature is 92 degrees. I am in no mood to watch a movie about Santa Clause's brother (or nephew or cousin or whatever he is supposed to be). 


But that is besides the point.


Yesterday we got the movie "My Best Friend's Girl" starring the always hilarious (sense the sarcasm) Dane Cook. Now...I'm fairly certain this was my wife's decision but we sat down to watch it anywho. 


And we watched the whole thing.


A quick summary of the flick, which was marketed as a date movie (a chick flick even) places good ol' Dane as a real jerk who gets paid to make girls who just dumped their boyfriends realize that it was a huge mistake by going on a date with them and being the worst date ever.


The problem arises when he does this for his best friend and ends up falling for her. As the movie progresses and Dane loses the girl himself and we are supposed to feel sorry for him. 


The girl he stole from his best friend. 


The best friend who was in love with her.


The best friend who apparently paid him for the service.


This is a date movie. My wife was dumbfounded. What kind of Bizzaro World wants you to feel bad for this guy? And who was the genius who marketed this as a date movie to take your girl to?


Anyway...when writing copy it is stuff like this you should be thinking about. Who are you marketing to? What do they want? What makes them tick? Maybe most important...what makes them want? 


Bottom line...Know Your Audience.

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