Support The Girls – Marketing Recap

Just last week a story made the rounds about how Millennials had mounted their latest corporate head to the wall of businesses and industries they’ve killed, in this case Hooters. The chain was shutting down, the story went, that generation just isn’t that into boobs, the connection provided by some sketchy numbers from Pornhub. Never mind that Hooters and restaurants like it are vestiges of gender norms firmly rooted in Boomer mentality that younger people have largely rejected.

While the restaurant featured in Support The Girls isn’t Hooters, it’s a similar establishment, one that promises sub-par food served to a leering clientele by women in short shorts and tight shirts. The movie stars Regina Hall as Lisa, the manager of Double Whammies, who plays the role of mother hen to the girls who work there, keeping them safe and helping in whatever they need. One day her relentless optimism is tried as a series of events make her life and job more challenging than it’s been.

The Posters

Regina Hall is front and center on the poster, standing in front of the bar two of her waitresses are standing on. She looks serious but fun while the other girls are playing it up like they’re flirting in the middle of dancing. Bold copy placed over that photo is pulled from early reviews and establishes it as a comedy and praises Hall’s performance.

The Trailers

Lisa is the focal point of the trailer as we see her trying to maintain a positive attitude amidst all sorts of chaos swirling around her. There are rude customers, supervisors with unrealistic expectations, girls who are barely mature enough to keep their own issues together and so much more.

The trailer doesn’t lay out any single conflict or issue Lisa is fighting against, it’s just sold as her trying to make it through each day with everything still running as well as possible despite so many obstacles.

Online and Social

The official website has elements like “Trailer” and “Story” along with links to Magnolia’s site where you can download a press kit as well as official versions of the poster and trailer. There are also links to the Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages.

Advertising and Cross-Promotions

Nothing I’ve seen, though I wouldn’t be surprised if there had been some social advertising I’d missed.

Media and Publicity

The movie had been scheduled to appear at the SXSW Film Festival and was acquired by Magnolia just before that screening. Still, it picked up some pretty good word of mouth, especially for Hall, from that screening. Both Hall and writer/director Andrew Bujalski spoke about the movie, the latter going into what made him write about such a topic, while in Austin.

Hall was interviewed later about what attracted her to the story, how she’s enjoying a hot period of her career and more. She did likewise on “Late Night,” “Good Morning America” and in a visit to BUILD as well as a few other interviews.

Overall

The focus is squarely on Regina Hall and that’s very much a good thing. She’s obviously the character the audience is being asked to invest in most heavily and so it makes sense to put her front and center.

It looks like a sweet, funny movie about women owning their sexuality in a powerful way. I kind of wish there had been a bit more attention paid to the waitresses at the restaurant – even if it was just a few little video bios or something – to add more context there, but that’s a small issue.

PICKING UP THE SPARE

Director Andrew Bujalski was interviewed about how the story of the movie is indeed timely but it wasn’t intended to be so as well as what inspired him to hit this particular topic. More on that as well as what lead him to cast Regina Hall in the lead here.

Given the movie’s working class themes, it’s refreshing to see director Andrew Bujalski talk about how in reality not everyone who he’d like to see the movie can afford to go to the movies.

Hall has some thoughts about how men can meaningful support women, including a handful of substantive changes in how society is structured. And more here from her on her previous roles, what this movie means and how she approaches the work overall.

Buzzfeed’s new profile of Regina Hall emphasizes how she has, to date, been underrated and under appreciated as an artist but that needs to change.

The arrival of awards season brought with it a new round of profiles and interviews of and with Hall.