Mattel's Ledger-Inspired Joker Doll Revealed!
Filed under: Action, Warner Brothers, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Newsstand, Home Entertainment, Movie Marketing, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels, Images
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Though it's only been a week since Heath Ledger was permanently laid to rest, Warner Bros. is slowly bringing back its marketing campaign for The Dark Knight. Mattel has revealed images of its Ledger-inspired Joker dolls; the first of which will retail at $7.99 and features a rocket launcher that can be placed in the Joker's hand. The second doll (pictured to the right) is a slightly larger, more detailed version created by action-figure designers the Four Horsemen. It will retail at $10.99. The image comes from The New York Post, who revealed it along with a quote from the Ledger family: "Heath was very proud of his work in the film, and his family is aware and supportive of Warner Bros. and its partner's plans for the movie." Mattel will sell two versions of the doll, with both hitting toy shelves this May (two months prior to The Dark Knight landing in theaters on July 18).
Mattel claims Ledger's death is "not exactly a marketing point," and that "kids are going to buy the toy if they like the movie." Yes, but the toy comes out two months before the movie does. Then again, the character is so recognizable, I really don't think it matters. But what do you think:
Should Mattel and Warner Bros. have waited until closer to the film's release to shovel a Ledger-like doll onto toy shelves? Or is this marketing tactic a normal one?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-19-2008 @ 10:55AM
Godard said...
1) It's a Joker doll, not a Heath Ledger doll
2) I'm sure Heath's estate gets money from the sales, so it hardly does Heath any favors by keeping it off the market
3) Film merchandise usually has a short shelf life. It drops as the B.O. drops, so it's important to get the dolls in stores while the marketing machine ramps up.
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2-19-2008 @ 10:54AM
Rocketboy said...
Umm, toys are frequently released before the movie comes out. Back in the day when I worked retail, I remember getting a stock of Stargate toys, way before I even heard of the movie.
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2-19-2008 @ 11:10AM
Lewis said...
Either way, whatever actor chose to pay The Joker, would have been revealed as a toy this early as well. And Yea, its obvious it would have been released earlier than the movie, toys are always like that. Expect me to buy it. Why? Cuz I love Batman, no other reason why.
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2-19-2008 @ 2:19PM
DAVID F said...
IT'S NOT A DOLL! IT'S AN ACTION FIGURE!
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2-19-2008 @ 5:10PM
Gary said...
No David, I am sorry, It is a doll. Get over it. Nobody thinks you are a girl for playing with a doll.
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2-19-2008 @ 11:29PM
AJ Wiley said...
Well, I'm sure these toys were in the making months before Ledger died, and film-related merchandise always hits shelves a good while before the movie does.
I've always wondered why they put out those novelizations so long before the movie, though, because someone could pick it up and spoil the whole thing...
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2-20-2008 @ 9:35AM
TMK said...
Thank you for this post, as it further illuminates an issue that I, as well as most of those interested in film marketing, have seen grow ever since Ledger's passing: How does Warner Bros. proceed in marketing their blockbuster film which had, in large part, been focused on Ledger's character? Many industry pundits had predicted that their strategy would change, possibly drastically, with the possibility of a change in focal character seeming the most likely scenario. With this latest toy release, however, all that can be virtually thrown out the window. I believe this, in the end, will prove to be the right move for the studio.
There are a couple of reasons why this release makes sense and why I feel it is clearly not a case of capitalization on the actor's death. The first and most obvious has already been mentioned as a comment on this post but let me reiterate: It takes more than a month to produce an action figure. Undoubtedly, this action figure was in production half a year ago. Perhaps the toy was always scheduled to come out at this time, which brings me to my second point. If this is true, and this early release was always part of the plan, then kudos to Warner Bros. A month ago, they found themselves in a predicament by losing the actor whom they had focused so much of their ad campaign resources around. Instead of walking on eggshells and letting all that good work go to waste, they stuck to their game plan and proceeded as usual, and with the endorsement of the Ledger family, I might add. While I can not know for certain if this toy release has always fit in to the long term plans of the company prior to Ledger's death, the details mentioned indicate that this is probably the most likely scenario to have occurred.
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