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.
The Paramount Classics documentary, co-financed by National Geographic Films, has failed to draw the crowds that flocked to other recent environmental movies such as Oscar-winners "March of the Penguins" and "An Inconvenient Truth."
Costing less than $5 million to produce, the film has grossed roughly $600,000 domestically since its release July 25.
Although the coffee giant has broadened its reach as a cultural tastemaker through music and book sales, "Arctic Tale" is another example of the green mermaid's golden touch failing to transfer to movies. Starbucks' first move into film promotion, Lions Gate's "Akeelah and the Bee," did not live up to expectations.
"I question the company's ability to get people into theaters," said Jim Romenesko, an online media watchdog who also runs the starbucksgossip.com blog. "When people go to Starbucks they can easily miss the movie marketing materials strewn among the clutter of items for sale."
Though Lions Gate and Paramount Vantage shoulder much of the blame for the two films' tepid box office, Starbucks was seen in Hollywood as a powerful partner that could use its brand name and the daily traffic in its 6,800 North American stores to help create big buzz.
But 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."
With "Akeelah," the company and Lions Gate established box-office benchmarks and encouraged behind-the-counter baristas to attend special screenings. This time, he said, the company focused on events such as a National Day of Discussion on climate change, held at various Starbucks stores.
Lombard said it was "still early in the game" and that Starbucks would consider new approaches when it collaborates with studios in the future.
The Seattle-based coffee chain has been careful not to jam its stores with movie posters and promotional paraphernalia that could annoy customers. Some wonder whether Starbucks can market films effectively with such a subtle approach.
