Disney, along with other studios, has often courted the so-called faith community when the appropriate movie comes along... But since The Passion, such wooing has become a science. For that reason, Disney and Walden have hired Motive Marketing, the company that oversaw The Passion's outreach program.
Disney hired the marketing firm credited with getting churchgoers to see The Passion of the Christ to help give its big Christmas movie, The Chronicles of Narnia, a biblical box-office boost.
Motive Marketing, which promoted The Passion of the Christ to a $370.6 million box office take sold Wardrobe directly to churches. That spadework almost certainly ensures a big opening weekend.
In a marketing campaign built on the lessons of The Passion of the Christ, Narnia has been skillfully sold to the Christian audience, much of it orchestrated by Motive Entertainment.
Narnia Roars into #1 at the Box Office
Narnia Roars to #1 on DVD Sales Charts
Gibson has half-jokingly remarked that The Passion may be a career-killer for him. If it is not, if it somehow manages to succeed, it will be in no small measure owing to Paul Lauer's efforts.
Lauer declined to discuss this campaign in detail. "There's a certain proprietary element to it," he said. "We have spent a great deal of time creating a new system that sidesteps the normal Hollywood approach to marketing a film."
…Most talked-about movie event in America, in large part because of a marketing strategy... One Hollywood executive at a major studio described it as "a brilliant marketing campaign."
The Passion of the Christ has stunned even the believers. It has become a textbook study in both high-profile and below-the-radar marketing. They've turned every liability into an asset.
The film succeeded through Gibson's brilliant marketing strategy. "The Passion is rewriting box-office history." — Paul Dergarabedian of Exhibitor Relations
Passion Grossed $612 million in worldwide box office
#1 R-rated film in history
#1 independently distributed film in history
#1 February release in history
Combining the built-in audience of the Bible and the marketing genius of The Blair Witch Project, the arrival of The Passion of the Christ feels like a milestone in modern culture.
Call it the "Passion effect." Suddenly, faith and values are hip. Paul Lauer, who marketed The Passion, says: "The phenomenon is real. It's been on the horizon for years."
Is The Polar Express an evangelical film? You'd certainly think so, considering the expansive campaign that Lauer unfurled in the Christian media this fall.
Within the industry, the odds against Polar Express succeeding seemed so long... But Warner Bros. expects it to reach $170 million... "We reached out... to schools, religious organizations and corporate groups."
After a slow start, The Polar Express has picked up steam and may well make back its $165 million production budget. Considering his track record, Lauer might see a lot more work coming his way.
Sylvester Stallone has enlisted [Motive Entertainment's] Paul Lauer to help spread the word... to the faith-and-family market.
Rocky Balboa came out swinging... pummeling the competition with a take of $6.4 million in its debut.
So what does a movie marketing company do for an encore after helping spread the word about The Passion of the Christ, The Polar Express and The Chronicles of Narnia? ... If anyone can make this contentious bit of non-fiction fly... it's Motive Entertainment.
…This is mostly the work of Motive Marketing's Paul Lauer. He's the guy who made Passion into a phenomenon by harnessing the power of this country's 160 million Christians. Not the traditional Hollywood way.
Expelled fared better than prerelease tracking had signaled. Its opening was robust for a documentary... Expelled had the widest documentary release ever.
Expelled opens in the Top 10, and has #5 best per screen average.
Expelled is the 12th highest-grossing documentary in U.S. box office history.
Secret Life of Bees exceeded expectations... Bees delivered the third biggest opening in company history for Fox Searchlight.
United 93 wound up with the highest per-theater average.
Paul Lauer, CEO of Motive Entertainment... "They only get excited when it's consistent with their values and beliefs."
Paul Lauer, Founder of Motive Entertainment, cut his teeth on the biggest faith-driven project of recent decades – The Passion of the Christ. Years later, Lauer continues to adhere to the idea that "you still need to get the Rick Warrens of the world excited"... "you have to find the people who are objective enough to help you figure out what the right home for that film will be."
Paul Lauer has long had a passion for media and its power to shape the culture. These days, he does that principally as president of Motive Entertainment, which brings faith-friendly movies to the masses.
"People are REALLY excited about this movie," said Paul Lauer... "We are seeing amazing support from faith leaders of all denominations – in fact, over 1,300 endorsements. The Shack connects with people no matter where they are in their faith-including those with no faith."