• by Wayne Friedman , October 30, 2006

The theatrical marketing campaign for the Dixie Chicks' documentary "Shut Up & Sing" may be using a controversy over the rejection of its TV commercials to stir public interest.

The Weinstein Company, the company distributing the movie, issued a press release late Thursday saying that NBC and the CW rejected a commercial for the movie. The spot has a clip and sound bites of President Bush talking about the Iraq War, as well as comments from the three-woman singing group. One member, Natalie Maines, repeats her famous war remark of three years ago: "We are ashamed that the President of the United States comes from Texas."

Network executives say The Weinstein Co. didn't go about buying media time in the typical way. The Weinstein's media-buying agency--Palisades Media Group, Santa Monica, Calif.--sent the commercial to its broadcast standards and practices department before inquiring about a media buy.

Typically, advertisers buy a media schedule through a network's ad sales department, and the commercials then go to broadcast standards for review. If approved, the spot goes to air on a network. If a spot is rejected, network executives say, that begins a discussion in which an advertiser gets a chance to change its creative. A broadcast standards department may also relax some of its rules.

Executives say Weinstein--through Palisades--went back to NBC with new creative--which was rejected a second time. Executives note that only one attempt was made for the CW. Palisades Media executives could not be reached by press time.

For its part, an NBC Universal spokeswoman says: "While a spot was submitted to our broadcast standards and practices department for review, it was rejected because it violated our policy of not broadcasting ads that deal with issues of public controversy. The Weinstein Co. did not make a national media buy for "Shut Up & Sing," nor did anyone from the company inquire about buying time on the networks."

A CW spokesman says: "This press release is inaccurate. It remains a mystery to us."

The movie opened this past weekend in two cities--Los Angeles and New York--on four screens. Ten TV stations--five in New York and five in Los Angeles--ran the spots. The CBS network approved and ran the commercial. Fox has also approved the commercial, but has not run it as of press time. No decision has been made by ABC.

Some network executives are incensed that the Weinstein Co. issued a late Thursday afternoon release when the movie opens the next day. They say The Weinstein Co. knew many days in advance that there were problems, which is why observers suggest it may be a neat marketing/publicity trick.

A spokeswoman from Weinstein Co. strongly denies this, saying it only got the thumbs-down on the spots from NBC and the CW late in the week.

Movie marketing executives say the Weinstein Co. was merely looking to get the jump after the first week opening by going directly to networks' broadcast standards and practices departments the week before, since it realized the spot could be a borderline problem.

The movie is scheduled to open in more theaters starting this weekend, and could benefit from more national TV buys.