Why Can't Marketing Get the Hat Right?!?

In-depth discussion of the Fedora of Indiana Jones and all other hats appearing in the Indiana Jones movies

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Why Can't Marketing Get the Hat Right?!?

Post by Johnny Fedora »

:evil: Realllllly? What the h#ll is this?
Image

Every time I see a new piece of promo art for the new film, the hat looks like utter @#$%! If I were Steve or Marc I'd be right mad. Surely PR could duplicate the real lid for the advertising, couldn't they?

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Re: Why Can't Marketing Get the Hat Right?!?

Post by Dostacos »

Johnny Fedora wrote::evil: Realllllly? What the h#ll is this?
Image

Every time I see a new piece of promo art for the new film, the hat looks like utter @#$%! If I were Steve or Marc I'd be right mad. Surely PR could duplicate the real lid for the advertising, couldn't they?

Johnny
it looks just like my wife's fully lined $50 dorfman :lol:
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Post by K on the run »

Most people can't tell a cowboy hat from a Fedora much less a Dorfman from a Indy Fedora. And the price is important when you have to supply promo materials to the whole world.

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Post by Fedora »

Every time I see a new piece of promo art for the new film, the hat looks like utter @#$%! If I were Steve or Marc I'd be right mad. Surely PR could duplicate the real lid for the advertising, couldn't they?
Well, at least the first poster, the Comic Con one actually used the real deal hat. I think with these other posters coming later, there were no ABs available to use, or they would not let the hat out of the hands of who ended up with them. :lol: Either that, or there was a consicious decision made to use DPs to optimize DP sales. :lol:

I recall Bernie's disdain for the makers of the first poster when they borrowed a film hat, and then caved in one side of the top crease before they did the shoot. Bernie was so picky about how this hat was shown, and apparently now has no control over what they use........I would imagine he has noticed the wrong hat on the later posters and is cringing.

There was one thing about Bernie that was very obvious. He was so PICKY about the appearance of the AB, and was always on scene to get the hat to looking right.

I won't ever forget his call from the set, and they had just shot a scene that involved alot of dirt. He told me he must have used 5 pounds of Fuller's earth on that hat, and his last words were..........Steve, it looked #$#%$#% great!!!! This was the kind of guy he is, and he really zeroed in on the hat. He was a very involved costumer, and I can only imagine his chagrin now when he sees the newer posters. Knowing what I know of this man's character, I doubt he is happy about the poster hat. Neither am I. Fedora
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Post by Minnesota Jones »

Remember too that what you're showing is a movie house display. It's a cardboard 3-D mock-up display that just happens to have a fedora and whip along with the other items (boxes and suitcases). Since these displays get damaged AND stolen (and end up on eBay) alot, they're not going to use a REAL Indy Fedora and Bullwhip on it. As a display, it's awesome. As a gear piece, maybe not so much.
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Post by Cassidy »

The average filmgoer is going to say, "Holy smokes, a new Indiana Jones movie," not, "No way am I seeing that movie because the display fedora has a tear drop crown."

Forest for the trees guys, forest for the trees...
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Post by Magnum Jones »

The untrained eye. Look on ebay, The only "real Indy hats" are from C.O.W members, listed in the Cario Bazaar first.
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Post by Johnny Fedora »

Listen, I agree with all of the comments above. I realise that it's just a display, and of course no one would place an actual hat there. :roll: All I'm saying is that if you notice, someone put alot of effort into making that chunk of cardboard look like a Dorfman Pacific, and the same effort could have been put into making it look like the hat it's meant to represent. Eh..look, the teaser poster image, this display, and likely the one sheet art, will all look wrong, my question is why? Attention to detail is all I'm talking about, and yes again, forest for the trees and all that, but this is after all a fourm for discussing Indy's gear and for whatever reason even the pr for the movie can't get the hat right. Why? It's not like they couldn't have access to referance materials from the movie. Unless these images are meant to tie into Dorfman product placment.

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Post by GoldenHistorian »

actually it COULD be an indy hat so why are you whining?
Its only the bash that is different :lol:
i love those mevie displays my favourate one i have seen so far is one from one of the mummy movies it was really good even had a mummy inside a cargophicus*.
*definately not the actual spelling but you should understand
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Post by McFly »

All I'm saying is that if you notice, someone put alot of effort into making that chunk of cardboard look like a Dorfman Pacific, and the same effort could have been put into making it look like the hat it's meant to represent.
I'm about 90% sure it's a real hat, and not a cardboard cutout. The whip on there is also real, and not cardboard. That's why it's not an AB - not because they didn't want to put a real AB on instead of faking one with cardboard, but because instead of spending $1000 on including ABs with their promo stand ups, they spent $500 on including DPs with them. And actually, looking at this next picture, I really don't even think it's a Dorfman. Just some hat - because really, I've never ever seen a DP with a brim like that.

More pics at http://www.Indianajones.es

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Post by Fedora »

I have photos from the Indy 4 project. I just extracted a hat that was in one of the pics I have. The original pic contains a man wearing the final hat that was chosen. Of course, I can't show that pic at this point in time, if ever, since I think I would have to have permission to do so.

I think this hat is one of the sample hats sent in by a hatter as an Indy fedora!! :lol: Looks like they let it be used for the poster to me. What do you think? Looks very similiar to me.

Image

This is one of the hats we beat out. Wish I could show the the WHOLE photo. :D Fedora
Last edited by Fedora on Tue Dec 25, 2007 1:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Renderking Fisk »

I think it's funny how they get such an iconic item so wrong. I'm glad that we have someone like Bernie on our side working on this film. We really should be greatful.

... And thankful we have a friend like Steve Delk to put those details into such a great product.
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Post by Fedora »

think it's funny how they get such an iconic item so wrong. I'm glad that we have someone like Bernie on our side working on this film. We really should be greatful.
You know, the first poster, the one available at Comic Con(think that is the name) actually used a film hat. They got it from Bernie. So, it looks like that will be the only poster with an actual film hat in it. I really think non of those film hats are available for this post film work. And that makes me very curious as to why not a single one was provided for the other artwork. THEY know how important the hat is, and this whole deal is starting to be completely nonsensical.

At least the other 3 film's posters stayed pretty true to what was worn in the film. Why all of a sudden, with this huge film project has someone dropped the ball? :shock: One would think that with the experience Lucas Inc has with after film collectables, they would have this down to a fine art by now. I smell a rat, a dead rat. But maybe I am just being paranoid on Christmas Day! Perhaps the Lucas Legal team are now having input on the poster art. :lol: It makes sense to me that each poster that has a film accurate, i.e. Adventurebilt featured is advertising for us, in a roundabout way. Of course, we may see later posters with a very accurate DP, complete with Indy pin on the bow! Nothing would surprise me at this point. Fedora
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Post by Puppetboy »

I think I can tell you why that display is the way it is, as I was involved in the development for a short time.

The company who made the displays was given three weeks by Paramount to deliver 1,500 displays for incredibly little money. Actually, they did a great job considering is was only cardboard. The 3-d pieces had to be obtained on short notice in large quantity for a low price. I happen to know that Paramount strung them along for about 2 weeks leaving them 1 to actually design, print, and fabricate the displays. Where could you find 1,500 hats by Friday? No time to fabricate them - they had to be bought. I'm not sure where they ended up getting them from or how much they had to spend (I know it was less than $40 each).

On tight deadlines there are compromises that have to be made. I'd guess they are wool dorfmans fastened to the box. They could get them wholesale much cheaper than they could make someting. (they probably cleaned DP out of Indy hats). Perhaps when DP ran out of Indy hats they had to supply cowboy styles for the balance.
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Post by Dutch_jones »

Thanks for that Todd,

And Yes Like said before, The mass of the movie going crowd will not notice much difference between the movie AB and the hat on display.

Same with the whips, its a whip and Indy used one :P Who beyond the fans is gonna notice its not that accurate;)?

these whips run for about 10 bucks on eThang.

The same is with a dorfman, It looks like an indy hat because it has the basic look and shape, And this goes with alot of things actually.

The Movies go beyond just the fans, there's also the people who just like the see Harrison in a movie, or just like the poster enough to see the movie.

And you also have the people who think the same hat is used in all three movies.

But hey! Thank god us fans know the difference :D
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Post by Johnny Fedora »

Fedora wrote:At least the other 3 film's posters stayed pretty true to what was worn in the film. Why all of a sudden, with this huge film project has someone dropped the ball? :shock: One would think that with the experience Lucas Inc has with after film collectables, they would have this down to a fine art by now.
And that's all I'm saying. Look, I guess part of what erks (?) me a little bit is that as a gearhead (who is able to recognize some of the nuances of Indy's hat) when eventually the Crystal Skull poster takes its place with the others in my home, Indy won't look right. Like anything else, once you're aware of a flaw in something your eye goes right to it. :?

Johnny

p.s. Fedora, Thanks for the pic. Now of course we all want to see the rest of it. :wink: Oh well, someday.
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Post by Indiana Neri »

What I'd like to see (or do if I had the time and resources) is someone make a REAL display inpsired BY the cutout. Use a replica crate, an old vintage suitcase, etc...Anybody know where to start?

:wink:
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Post by Dutch_jones »

Indiana Neri wrote:What I'd like to see (or do if I had the time and resources) is someone make a REAL display inpsired BY the cutout. Use a replica crate, an old vintage suitcase, etc...Anybody know where to start?

:wink:
How about Lucasfilm Archives;)?

No thats actually a very cool Idea!! Who's willing to donate a crate :lol: ?
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Post by Minnesota Jones »

If the hats on the displays ARE DPs, at least they took the little Indiana Jones pins off them... :wink:
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Post by Fedora »

Remember too that what you're showing is a movie house display. It's a cardboard 3-D mock-up display that just happens to have a fedora and whip along with the other items (boxes and suitcases). Since these displays get damaged AND stolen (and end up on eBay) alot, they're not going to use a REAL Indy Fedora and Bullwhip on it. As a display, it's awesome. As a gear piece, maybe not so much.

Now, how I missed Minnesota's post has to be due to middle age eye sight loss. But, if I would have seen his answer, I would have UNDERSTOOD. I noticed it after rereading this thread this a.m. It really does help, when you read ALL the posts. :lol: Fedora
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Post by Fedora »

And you also have the people who think the same hat is used in all three movies.
Dead on. Plus, there are still many folks who think the Indy fedora was leather!!! Fedora
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Post by binkmeisterRick »

It wasn't? 8-[
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