Sony has unlocked a new frontier in native advertising — and the craziest part is that it’s (apparently) free! All they had to do was cry misogyny when people criticized their movie, prompting sites like BuzzFeed to gleefully shill for them, generating millions in free advertising.
BuzzFeed‘s latest Ghostbusters ad — I mean article (it can be hard to tell with them!) — goes well beyond the expectations of even Sony. The cat-video site actually advocates that you spend hundreds of dollars on Ghostbusters tickets and merchandise as a way to stick it to all those mean anonymous trolls.
Here’s a breakdown of the expense report for BuzzFeed‘s “12 Things You Can Do To Support The New “Ghostbusters” Movie Against The Haters.”
“Go see the damn movie.”
One 3D ticket – $15
“Go see it multiple times”
2 more tickets – $30
“Bring your friends.”
2 more tickets – $30
“Rewatch the entire Melissa McCarthy/Paul Feig filmography.”
Bridesmaids on iTunes – $12.99
Spy – $14.99
The Heat – $14.99
“Get your cosplay on and turn the 2016 Ghostbusters fandom into one to be reckoned with.”
Ghostbusters jumpsuit on Amazon – $159.99
Proton Pack – $49.95
“Give in to the pressures of capitalism and buy the shit out of the merch and tie-in foodstuff.”
12 pack Hi-C Ecto Cooler Citrus Juice – $6.24
10 pack of Key Lime Slime Twinkies – $3.99
Ghostbusters 2016 Video Game – $50
4 Funko Pop! Ghostbusters figurines (one for each character) – 43.96
So all in all that comes to a cool $432.10. Take that patriarchy!
This isn’t the first time BuzzFeed has shilled for the new Ghostbusters. First they ecstatically praised the original trailer. The one Melissa McCarthy didn’t even like. Then they acted excited about the bafflingly awful Fallout Boy theme song. The one Jezebel called problematic. Then they tried really hard in a separate article to sell people on those Funko Pop! dolls.
If Sony isn’t paying them to shill — both Sony and BuzzFeed didn’t return requests for comment — then BuzzFeed is missing out on a huge native advertising opportunity.
Follow me on Twitter @William__Hicks.
