• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, February 7, 2007

When is the word "electrifying" not so "terrifying"? Apparently when that word was used in the high-profile Super Bowl spot that ran on CBS this past Sunday.

Famed film producer Harvey Weinstein, now co-chair of The Weinstein Company, formerly the co-founder of Miramax Films, was worried about the copy in a commercial for his forthcoming film "Hannibal Rising." The spot featured a voiceover saying, "The most terrifying thriller of the new year."

Weinstein changed his mind late on Saturday night and called Les Moonves, chief executive of CBS.  Weinstein thought it better to change the word to electrifying, so as not to scare the kids on Sunday Bowl Sunday

To me electrifying could be just as bad, drumming up thoughts of  "electrically executed," with smoke bellowing out of the top of someone head. That's terrifying. 

Of course the error of everyone's ways is that Weinstein, Moonves or anyone at the NFL truly believes the Super Bowl is "family" entertainment. At its basics, it's bone-crunching, skimpily-dressed-cheerleader-dancing, football entertainment.

Why does the NFL get a free ride? Is it because the games are played on the more religious day of the week -- Sunday? Is it because players close their eyes and sway to the "Star Spangled Banner"?

Another point concerns a comment made by Moonves about getting that phone call from Weinstein on Saturday night, the night before the game. Moonves says he normally doesn't take calls from advertisers on Saturday night.

Advertising Age then heard: ""But he's my friend, and for $2.3 million I'm happy to take his call."

Daily Varietyheard: "But Harvey is a friend, and for 2½ million dollars, he can call me all he wants."

Which is it? Two point three million or $2.5 million? Gee, we thought $2.6 million was the average price per commercial. Either way, Weinstein probably got a bargain, buying a commercial just days before the Super Bowl (and especially for the always lower-priced fourth quarter commercial placement).

It's also interesting to note how the copy was changed in the commercial. The comment "the most terrifying movie of the new year" was from Maxim magazine's film reviewer, Pete Hammond.  But Moonves and Weinstein said they "worked" with the critic to change it to "electrifying."

Worked with the critic? You mean that they changed his mind concerning what he said?   This is shocking -- critics can "change" their quotes for some movie commercials, or in the case of Sony Pictures Entertainment some years ago, studios can completely make a quote up -- as well as the critic. Remember that great Connecticut-area reviewer David Manning? We don't seem to see him around much anymore.

This kind of marketing is shocking -- you just might call it electrifying. In any case, keep the kids away.