Philippine E-Journals

Marketing marries film: A Review of The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

Charmaine Merryll P. Gilbuena

Discipline: Mass Communication

 

Abstract:

This paper analyzes the key persuasion theories reflected in the 2011 Morgan Spurlock documentary The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (officially titled POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold). The review uses several theories, namely: Social Judgment Theory, to show how personalities and attitudes affect the likelihood of effective persuasion; Cognitive Dissonance Theory, to look into the conflict that marketing strategies in the film industry bring to artistic integrity; Elaboration Likelihood Model, to explain how the movie effects persuasion through both the central and peripheral routes; and Narrative Paradigm, to explain how Spurlock’s storytelling method, more than anything, sells the movie.