After the Super Bowl halftime show advertisements, it was soon time for global pop superstar Michael Jackson's performance.
Honestly, Gilbert wasn't a fan of Michael Jackson. By the time he was old enough to understand, Michael Jackson was already a legend. Gilbert found it hard to become a fan of someone who was merely a legend, no matter how great.
In his previous life, many people online pretended to be Michael Jackson fans, but they didn't genuinely like him; they just wanted to appear sophisticated. These types of people particularly enjoyed putting others down, for example, by mocking other celebrities' fans: "No matter how amazing your XXX is, can they be as amazing as Michael Jackson?" Or, "What? You don't know Michael Jackson? Go home and look him up online, you idiot..." Such fake fans remained active online even more than a decade after Michael Jackson's death.
Gilbert could only think: how could these fake fans claim to be Michael Jackson's fans? Without experiencing that era, how could they truly appreciate his legendary life, his magnificent performances, and his benevolent heart?
Regardless of what others thought, after watching the halftime show, which was far more interesting than the game itself, Gilbert finally understood why Michael Jackson was the King of Pop. It was a pity that this pop king would face tragic circumstances in the coming years. But Gilbert couldn't save him; no one could, because it wasn't just one person's problem, but a consensus of the dominant white society that controlled the narrative. Although Gilbert had a Chinese heart, on the surface, he was still white, and even an "octopus," so he couldn't fight against the entire mainstream North American society.
After this Super Bowl ended, several North American newspapers and TV stations praised it as the greatest Super Bowl halftime performance ever. After this halftime show, Michael Jackson's personal prestige and career both reached their peak.
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## "Speed" Gains Attention
However, amidst the overwhelming praise for Michael Jackson, some people also noticed "Speed," the movie that aired its trailer during the Super Bowl halftime. The Los Angeles Times, after reporting on Michael Jackson's Super Bowl halftime performance on its front page, featured "Speed"'s Super Bowl trailer on its second page.
"After the world pop music king's performance swept the globe, we should note the groundbreaking move by this summer's upcoming film, 'Speed.' The film aired a thirty-second trailer during the Super Bowl halftime commercial, capturing the attention of audiences across America and even globally. This innovative promotional method achieved excellent results. Although costly, this advertising investment was still worthwhile."
Renowned producer Jerry Bruckheimer, in an interview with Variety magazine, also mentioned "Speed"'s Super Bowl commercial.
"Gilbert and his 'Speed' have pioneered a new marketing method for Hollywood films, forever being etched in cinematic history. It's certain that next year, we will see more Hollywood movie trailers being aired during the Super Bowl. I heard this method was Gilbert's idea; he truly is a genius in film marketing."
Whether he was a genius or not, after the Super Bowl commercial aired, "Speed" became the second most discussed topic after Michael Jackson. Disney intensified its promotional efforts, beginning to roll out extensive offline advertisements and continuing to air trailers on other TV programs. All with one goal: to let as many viewers as possible know about "Speed," thereby enticing them into cinemas.
When it came to attracting audiences, Gilbert, who edited the trailers, was undoubtedly a master. He later edited a 90-second trailer and a two-minute trailer, both filled with exciting scenes. Then, in an interview with Sarah, a reporter from The Hollywood Reporter, he revealed: "I can confidently tell movie fans that the trailer isn't everything. The film contains a vast amount of thrilling and exciting shots; the trailer is just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to know more, go to the cinema and find out!"
By leveraging the Super Bowl's popularity, Gilbert successfully generated a huge amount of buzz for himself and "Speed." Many people were now curious about what the full scope of this film, daring enough to air a commercial during the Super Bowl, truly was. And that's how curiosity was sparked. With curiosity, there's a chance people will go to the cinema, and thus, box office revenue will follow.
Gilbert's move not only showcased an imaginative film marketing strategy to other Hollywood film companies but also gave CAA a shock. After watching the Super Bowl, CAA's two titans, Michael Ovitz and Martin Bob, quickly discussed countermeasures.
"What do we do? 'Speed' is getting much more attention than 'Cliffhanger' now. People are either talking about Michael Jackson or 'Speed'," Martin Bob worried. Michael Ovitz also had a headache, not expecting young people today to have so many strange ideas, which caught them off guard.
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## Dealing with Negative Publicity
However, there was still a potential turning point... Michael Ovitz pondered for a long time and said, "High public attention for the film is actually not a bad thing for us right now."
"How so?" Martin Bob asked curiously.
Michael Ovitz explained, "The higher the popularity, the more people are paying attention, which is perfect for those gossip tabloids to get involved."
Martin Bob immediately understood. "You mean, to hype up those scandals?"
"Exactly, it's time to act. The higher the popularity, the easier it is to sensationalize," Michael Ovitz said confidently.
Martin Bob received his instructions, left the office, and hurried to get things done.
After the Super Bowl, Gilbert continued to be busy with post-production. However, after the trailers' popularity subsided, various negative stories about Keanu Reeves, River Phoenix, and Johnny Depp began to appear in gossip tabloids. Gilbert only heard about it from his assistant Anna, and by the time he knew, the scandalous news was already flying around in the tabloids.
Suddenly, all the film distributors competing with "Speed" in the summer began to follow suit, trying to discredit it. Even Gilbert himself became a target for negative stories. Although his scandals were nothing compared to Keanu Reeves'.
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## Emergency Meeting
Facing these incidents, Disney and Warner urgently convened a meeting to discuss countermeasures, and Gilbert also rushed to attend. At the same time, Keanu Reeves also arrived with his agent. Before the meeting, Gilbert spoke with Keanu Reeves for a while: "Keanu, this isn't your fault, don't take it too much to heart."
Keanu Reeves simply nodded, not saying much, and seemed to be in a low mood. This was normal; any sane person would struggle with being constantly slandered and criticized in newspapers.
The meeting was convened by Touchstone Pictures CEO Robert Iger and Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution Head Doug Walter.
"There have been many negative scandals about Keanu Reeves appearing. I'd like to ask everyone for their opinions," Robert Iger concluded his brief opening remarks and invited those present to express their views.
Doug Walter spoke first: "First, we need to conduct emergency public relations. Any baseless claims must be clarified promptly. Keanu needs to remain silent when facing the media to prevent saying anything that could be seized upon."
Another executive suggested, "I think Keanu could do some community service, like volunteering at an orphanage, and we'll arrange for our media to report on it to salvage some of his image."
The executives offered various suggestions, and a viable plan for immediate emergency public relations was quickly put together.