The Seattle coffee chain marketed the uplifting spelling-bee tale "Akeelah and the Bee" in its stores last
summer by printing hard-to-spell words on cup sleeves and asking baristas to tell customers about the film. Executives have conceded that the movie's ticket sales came in lower than they had hoped
for.
"Arctic Tale" will begin showing in some theaters on July 25, with a wider release scheduled for Aug. 17. Starbucks plans to host discussions about climate change in its stores in August as part of an attempt to explain why customers should see the movie. Starbucks isn't investing any money in the film, and would not explain terms of the deal beyond saying that the company will benefit from its success.
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