Fantasy - A merchandisers heaven

[engwaalphiel]

I searched for this and found no success so here's my own post for it .
Does it seem that the fantasy genre of book and film is merchanising heaven . Companies can make millions out of selling related things to die hard fans and children alike. LOTR is a great example of this - here on the barrowdowns we had the post "Merchandise we'd like to see but probably won't"
Fantasy is so easy to promote things on .
LOTR brings us the usual video , DVD , soundtrack of any other film and the hardback paperback , postcard edition collectors edition of any other book , AND we get the lunchbox , the chess set , the many boardgames , the pencil cases , folders , action figures , playsets of another major fantasy film / series . THEN we get the rings , the swords , the costume , the ears and more besides.
Fantasy must be one of the film industry and film merchandising industries biggest sellers . Does anyone agree that it is getting too big . That they can push anything with the LOTR logo on it ?

[Meela]

if they stop now, it'll be fine. but i have images of them selling furniture designed in Rivendell style, and front doors with the Moria design on the front, and it doesnt actually seem like a bad idea...

i think they can do anything! i hope they do Lego!

[engwaalphiel]

Actually Furniture etc is quite a good idea (im sure some independant carpenters manufacture in that style anyway) But it can go too far in the other direction , not tastelful just cheap and tacky . A mockery of Tolkien's work if you like.
However if it gets more people READING Tolkien it's a different matter.

[Finwen]

I suppose anything like that is a merchandiser's heaven, but it all depends. I, personally, would never buy a lunchbox or anything akin to it, as I see it as tacky and, as engwaalphiel so nicely put it "A mockery of Tolkien's work." But the hoardes of children younger than me probably would, and do. And so long as the media marketing machine is set in motion, I'd say that most things with a LotR logo could be pushed...

As for it being too big... Yes. The moment I saw Lord of the Rings pencil cases I began to think that. It's amusing in some ways and upsetting in others. But ah well.

... But this furniture sounds good. I'd like to reserve an order for some, if someone sees any.... [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Meela]

u can get pencil cases? i havent seen them...

im actually doing a DIY job on the moria door thing and copying out the design onto a piece of paper and sticking it to my bedroom door. one day ill get round to painting it on [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
at the moment i have a picture of a cartoon gandalf saying "You shall not pass"

could make popular door plaques. kinda like "do not disturb" (which u could put with a picture of the balrog [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img])

[engwaalphiel]

Wow , good for you meela! yes once the machine gets rolling there's no stopping it , although after ROTK it will most certainly slow down . The day we get make your own orc kits from companies that make tacky art kits that never turn out right is the day I get angry with those marketers!

[Finwen]

Meela - I don't know where you live, but I live in England. They may not have such evil objects where you live.

The pencil case I saw was, I think, supposed to be like a quiver, in that it was long and cylindrical. The design was a map of Middle Earth, and it had a strap that went from the top to the bottom so it could be put on, like a quiver (I did actually put it on. I admit to this act of gross stupidity [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] ). On the top, where the opening zip was, there was a large bright yellow circle of plastic, supposed to be the One Ring. On the bottom there were the Elvish runes. Horrible.

The door thing sounds amazing! Just this day I was thinking of maybe doing little murals on my bedroom walls of LotR-based things... Then I realised this would only give yet more proof to the theory that I am insane.

I think door plaques should be marketed. I would pay good money for a "You shall not pass" sign... [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[engwaalphiel]

yes i'm a fellow uk resident and that pencil case is just horrible! And then the burger chains cash in on it . Was it burger king who had nasty little models of characters with meals ... how can they do such a thing ?

[Finwen]

Yea, I think it was Burger King. It just renforces my deep hate of fast-food chains...

It's just so awful to see things I love so much being abused in such a way.

And that 'Battle Games in Middle Earth' was the worst. Talking about media marketing, that advert is on every single time!

[img]smilies/mad.gif[/img]

[eleanor_niphredil]

You hate that magazine too? Read this thread, I think you'll enjoys the first parts at least!
http://forum.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin...c&f=2&t=002050

[Finwen]

*gasp* I have found my people... [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]

I agree. Awful product, awful concept, awful advert. Have you noticed how, when the children are playing with the little figures on that tabletop, there's a figure standing right infront of the camera, with their back to it, who looks like it's supposed to be Viggo dressed up as Aragorn?

I think I've watched it one too many times...

[eleanor_niphredil]

I jsut hate the way that it gives the impression that all LOTR fans are like that. That advert has done more damage to my reputation, or what reputation I hade to start off with. But perhaps I shouldnt get into this again....

[Finwen]

No, no, I agree with you. The way that people presume that just because you're a fan that you will go around buying such worthless trash. When I went to school the next day every single person I saw asked if I was going to buy them, which I hated, because I have, countless times, made my position on merchandise clear; and also the fact that it undermines the books and the way people view them.

Ah well. "Day will come again," or so one hopes...

[Gorwingel]

The furnature would be cool, as long as it was of a very good quality, maybe handcarved or something like that.
Some of the stuff I have thought to be a little on the tacky side, like the plastic Sting sword, and the lunchbox (still can't believe that). I agree that it will probably slow down after ROTK. Some of the stuff is just the sad part of movie merchandising, those marketing people at the studios think we will buy anything involving LOTR. Which truthfully a lot of us won't, but there must be someone buying those things (I keep myself mostly buying the film posters, and some other select things)

[engwaalphiel]

Mostly younger children buying lunch boxes and stuff I presume. Those battle games are terrible . They could at least have made a tasteful advert ! I think that that merchandising agencies should check out the thread on merchandise we want to see but probably wont!
I'll try and find the link actually

[Amanruthiel]

I have come across a range of somewhat strange LOTR merchandise. In Portugal you can get biscuits (cookies to the USA) with LOTR pictures on them. We got them for my 'nephew' (he's four) and not only did they taste awful they didn't even look like the characters!

Another piece of tacky merchandise has to be the nodding dolls of the characters! Anyone seen them - awful.

I don't mind cashing in on success but some folks are taking it too far. I have LOTR door plaques, signed pictures, elven styled jewellery and am awaiting an elevn style ring. So I am part of the target group I guess. Plus furniture in Riven dell style sounds great - it would go in my elven style bedroom!

Peace be with you all
A xx [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[engwaalphiel]

Biscuits ! ok thats kind of frightening! And it's not just LOTR either . Have you seen how much Harry potter stuff there is. Does anyone think that harry potter however being written recently seems to have things written in purposefully that marketers are going to pick up on .Tolkien wouldn't have intended that with his work . So perhaps the more we consume the more merchandise gets thought up !

[Meela]

i happen to live in the confines of the countryside, where such luxuries as lotr pencil cases are not to be seen. fortunately, ill be in the city real soon, so ill have a good look around!

[engwaalphiel]

[img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] , i live in Rural Mid Wales and that doesn't seem to stop the merchandise flowing in.

[eleanor_niphredil]

I would love to live out in the country. city life is hard, so count yourself lucky!

[thalioniathiel]

I think the Lord of the Rings valentines are so cheesy.

I would love to see quality stuff, though, like the aforementioned furniture. I couldn't afford it, though... I would love to have candlesticks like the ones in Rivendell.
I don't wear dresses or dress up but would love to see blouses made with elvish sort of material and designs.

[Cibbwin]

The whole merchandise thing, although it is just a easy way to get money, is great in my opinion. I mean, I love the whole medieval and fantasy aspects of the story, and I'd LOVE to make my room look like a dwarven home. So, they're definitley getting a ton of my money! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Gorwingel]

The TTT video game is one piece of merchandising that is kind of cheesy that I really enjoy [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]
I wish we in the US had the cookies and chocolate bars with the pictures of the charaters on them. All we have is the cheesy valentines, and a lot of movie cards. Europe is so lucky in aspects like that, though when I was there in the summer I saw almost nothing that had to do with LOTR (I did buy a french language copy of FOTR, or Le Seigneur des Anneaux: La Communaute de l'Anneau, I can't read it at all [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img], but it is kind of a cool item to have around)

[engwaalphiel]

They have great LOTR magazines over in France, Film posters for ROTK inside and all!
Valentines ? We don't have those although i agree that it sounds v.cheesy!

[eleanor_niphredil]

I thought that the valantines cards where sweet. i'd love to get one1

[engwaalphiel]

What did it say on them ? i had a LOTR birthday card of my friend that was good!

[Finwen]

I'm sure I saw some LotR cards down the shops the other day... In fact, I saw them, squeaked, turned around to run away and crashed into a large LotR poster display which fell on me. [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

They looked OK to me. Not horrible and tacky. But that was from under a pile of Orlando Bloom posters...

Oh yes, I just remembered! In that same shop were LotR underpants!! [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] Now what do you think of that?!

[eleanor_niphredil]

Underpants/ Whats the point in underpants? No one can see underpants! (hopefully)

Lotr pyjamas! They do sell them, and they can be worn in public! (not for the fainthearted!)

[Finwen]

Pyjamas! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] What form do they come in? They sound fun.

And don't they sell bedspreads?

[eleanor_niphredil]

oooo, I hope so. With LOTR curtains as well!

What would be cool is LOTR cereal! Honey-coated pieces in shapes of one-rings, swords and iddy-biddy horses!

[Finwen]

What I think would be cool is if they built houses with a LotR-theme. You could live in Bag End! Or have a Rivendell-esque house! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

.... but imagine the cost! [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]

Re: the curtains. Waking up to see Orlando Bloom's giant face doesn't sound like a very enjoyable experience! But the cereal sounds fun. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] They're could be collectable thingies inside, and little marshmallow pieces, like in Lucky Charms!!

I think I'm getting a bit too carried away.

[ February 20, 2003: Message edited by: Finwen ]

[eleanor_niphredil]

getting carried away? go with it! some of the best things in life come from getting carried away!

There is a little house near us that looks exactly like bag-end, round green door and everything!

[Duncariel]

My Grandmother knows I'm a *cough* fan, so she sent me the Valentines. I almost fell over, they were sooo bad! Example:

Legolas~ Hope your Valentines Day is on target
They get worse...

Frodo~ Our friendship Rings true, Happy Valentines Day
I think that's enough torture.

Furniture sounds interesting, though. I want a bed from Rivendell.

[Finwen]

There is a little house near us that looks exactly like bag-end, round green door and everything!

Wow! I would be so jealous! Actually, I'd probably spend all my time near it, waiting for Bilbo to come out... [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Are these people aware that they have a house that looks like Bag End?

[Finwen]

Legolas~ Hope your Valentines Day is on target
Frodo~ Our friendship Rings true, Happy Valentines Day

People get paid to come up with these?! Lol! That Legolas one is amazingly awful! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Yea, I, too, want a Rivendell bed. I'm, looking for a bed to replace my old one and I was asked by my parents what type I would like. I answered "One like Frodo's in Rivendell!" I don't think they took it very well... [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[ February 20, 2003: Message edited by: Finwen ]

[engwaalphiel]

Frodo's bed in Rivendell! I agree ! I want one just like that. My Grandfathers a carpenter so *hopefully* ...
Those were the messages inside the Valentines ! That is terrible. If there going to put LOTR on something they should at least TRY and make it tasteful!

[eleanor_niphredil]

Wow, you must live a looong way from me! Those valantines are nothing like the ones i saw! Those were cute, with Arwen and Aragorn!

Are these people aware that they have a house that looks like Bag End?

Probably not. They have named their house, and it is nothing to do with LOTR, or i would have noticed!

[Gorwingel]

If I had a scanner (which I just happen to not have) I would scan you all a picture of the valentines. I did not think they were that bad, they were just kind of odd. They were kinda shiny, folded in half and you kept them together with a heart shaped sticker. Though the messages were not creative at all [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] , they could be better.

[eleanor_niphredil]

then again, better a stupid valentine than no valentine at all. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

Not that I would want one from the guys I know. Some of them are just plain weird! [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

[Haelothiel]

LotR is a merchandisers heaven! On the one hand, you have the people who are going through a "fad" and buy lunch boxes, on the other, people like me who would buy a Rivendell house if they had the money. Anyone else really want to buy a couple of swords from LotR? I would die for Rivendell furniture, that is an awesome idea. Pencil cases and the rest... I don't know. My cousin has a bunch of LotR jewelry but as I only have so much money I end up buying things like books... and books. But if anyone wants to get me a really good Christmas present they can pick me up a Rivendell bed and maybe a chair. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]