Legendary marketing decisions of the day

So, I went to see "I Am Legend" with about 3,000 other screaming New Yorkers on Tuesday night. Liked it, not a whole lot but a whole lot more than Mike did.

Can we start the countdown now to Will Smith's conversion to Scientology? Because he's hanging out with Tom Cruise way too much. I get they're now BFFs and all (apparently Jada took a shine to the Cruise on "Collateral"), but TC showed up at Will's Walk of Fame appearance in LA earlier this week, and then TC stole the red carpet at the premiere. He's in like every frickin' picture with Smith.

Someone suggested to me that the Cruise might be trying to get a little more cred for being human and friendly and like, a regular guy and all by hanging out with Smith, but in my opinion, if you're going to do that you have to remove your sunglasses on the red carpet especially when the red carpet is being held at night.

The man is walking Cheez Whiz.

Will, run away, quickly.

Anyway, so then I was walking home today. For reference, here's the "I Am Legend" poster (in case you've been under a rock and haven't seen it all over the world):

And I passed by this on my way to the subway:

And at first I was like: Same font? And then: Lone guy running in the empty street? And then I had to take a second look. So far as I know, there's no tie-in with Puma/"I Am Legend," which leads me to believe just this: Piggyback!

I am dubious.

10 Comments

  1. LeendaDLL on 12/13/07 at 6:36 pm

    I had the exact same reaction to seeing Cruise at Smith’s hand/footprint thing at Mann’s. Gawd, I hope he’s not successful.

    Best little tidbit I saw on my little 30hr vacation to SF was a scrolling marquee that said something about “Germany moves to ban Scientology”.



  2. Armchair News on 12/13/07 at 6:42 pm

    Glad to see we’re on the same track with this one.

    I’m not sure about banning it, though. I mean, generally I’m all for letting people — even crazy people — have their say and let the will of the people quash or accept. So that to me went a little too far. By making it outlaw, you martyr the cause, I think.



  3. LeendaDLL on 12/13/07 at 6:59 pm

    I wouldn’t want to see it outlawed here, that would be unAmerican. But seeing it might be outlawed somewhere else. Well, frankly, I got a kick out of that.



  4. R.G. Ryan on 12/13/07 at 7:31 pm

    Thank you! It is so gratifying that someone else gets the TC thing. Cheese Whiz. Classic!



  5. Armchair News on 12/13/07 at 7:33 pm

    Hee! Get on board the Cheez Cruise train!



  6. Cameron G Rose on 12/14/07 at 1:27 pm

    Did you see the Alvin and The Chipmunks campaign. They were piggybacking I am Legend too and far less gracefully. Sometime you have to ask Tash her scientology/Tom Cruise story. it’s a doozy.

    But cheese whiz? Don’t you think you’re being glib? 😉



  7. mKc on 12/15/07 at 5:36 pm

    I think its weird that Cruise was in the pictures with Smith and his daughter, and NOT Jada.  WTF?  This whole “friendship” is not making Cruise look more normal so much as its making Smith look more weird.

    But didn’t Smith show up at the premier of whatever that political piece of crap was that Cruise just released?



  8. mKc on 12/15/07 at 5:37 pm

    Oh yeah, can you spoil this for me in a private message?  Does the dog die in that movie?  Sounds like a stupid question but I was reading this whole online debate about it and I never really got whether or not they did. 



  9. Kitka on 12/16/07 at 7:16 am

    Actually, from what I understand (and I could be wrong), Jada and Will were Scientologists and friends with the Cruises.  But they recently left the “church”.  They are still claiming to be good friends with the Cruises, but that they didn’t believe in the doctrine of the “church”.



  10. Armchair News on 12/16/07 at 9:11 am

    According to this 12/14 interview, here’s Smith on Scientology:

    Q: There was a recent statement in a magazine other than Newsweek that indicated you’re interested in Cruise’s faith, Scientology.

    A: I don’t necessarily believe in organized religion. I was raised
    in a Baptist household, went to a Catholic church, lived in a Jewish
    neighborhood and had the biggest crush on a Muslim girl from one
    neighborhood over. Tom introduced me to the ideas of Scientology. I’m a
    student of world religion, so to me it’s hugely important to have
    knowledge and understand what people are doing and what the big ideas
    are. But I believe that my connection to my higher power is separate
    from everybody’s. I love my God, my higher power, but it’s mine and
    mine alone, and I create my connection and I decide on what my
    connection’s going to be.