Academic

Family (?) Film Blogging & Law Firm Advertising: Bride Wars & Ropes & Gray

By Gordon Smith, Christine, Hurt, Vic Fleischer, Fred Tung, Lisa Fairfax, David Zaring

So, as my fifth-grade daughter gets older, what constitutes a "family film" for purposes of this category of blogging may also change.  This weekend, Carter wanted to see the PG-rated Bride Wars.  There was also talk of the PG-rated Marley & Me, which admittedly from some posters is advertised as a Beethoven-like silly dog movie, and not a romantic comedy.  After checking them out on kids-in-mind.com, I agreed to take Carter to see Bride Wars.  I was a bit uncomfortable a couple of times, but hopefully my "driving home in the car" discussion of how marrying the right person is more important than having a perfect wedding made it all worth it.

But none of that is what I'm posting about right now.  So, in the movie Kate Hudson's character Liv is the stereotypical aggressive, in-your-face associate litigation attorney at a large defense firm in New York City.  But not at a nameless, faceless defense firm.  In at least one scene, the name "Ropes & Gray" in the lobby is clearly visible.  So, this brings up many questions.

One, did Ropes & Gray pay for this product placement?  I assume this kind of thing doesn't just happen.

Two, is this a good idea?  Is all publicity good publicity?  In the movie, Liv is first shown at a meeting with clients in which she outlines a scorched earth litigation strategy to scare the pants of the plaintiffs and show them that they have no interest in settling.  Ever.  The client loves her.  OK.  Maybe that may be the message that Ropes & Gray wants to get out to the public.  We're attack dogs when we're defending you.  But later on, to reflect the emotional toll that the combination of wedding planning and wedding sabotaging are taking on her, Liv completely drops the ball so that she shows up to the next meeting with her blouse wrapped around her blue hair in an effort to hide said blue hair (so yes, she has no blouse on under her suit jacket, so her bra shows), with drafts of documents that are two weeks old and don't reflect changes, and with basically no clue.  She ends up breaking down and (I think) crying.  The partner tells her to leave and then they fire her.  Is that a great commercial for Ropes & Gray?  Every once in awhile our associates completely crack and leave you in the lurch, but then we fire them for we have no heart about these types of things.

Three, is Ropes & Gray just hoping that law students associate their firm with attorneys that look like Kate Hudson?

Four, where will we see this again?

Full post as published by Conglomerate on January 20, 2009 (boomark / email).