I think it’s fair to say DC Comics is playing hard ball lately. In an effort to reach new readers and top Marvel comics in the sales charts, the company announced they’re relaunching their entire comic universe at the end of August. This huge re-imagining of DC’s entire line made national headlines and has taken a lot of attention away from their rival, Marvel. However, the icing on DC’s cake would have to be their cleverly placed Green Lantern ‘Got Milk’ Ads.
The other day, I was reading Marvel’s main summer event “Fear Itself” on my lunch break. When I got to the end of the issue I flipped the comic over and was shocked to see Ryan Reynolds in all his CG Green Lantern glory staring back up at me. There he was decked out as one of DC’s most popular characters on the back of a Marvel comic, creating an energy projection of a glass of milk. I laughed. This couldn’t have possibly been on purpose. I’m sure Marvel had to have had a clause in their advertising contracts that they wouldn’t allow advertisements with characters from their rival company. I walked out onto the sales floor thinking It had to had been a random printing error. Then I walked up to our window display. Since we place our comics on easels with the covers facing out the window, I saw a row of the same Green Lantern ‘Got Milk’ ad on the back cover of multiple comics over and over again. This had to of been a row of DC comics. I jumped in the window and checked each individual issue. Ghost Rider. X-Men. Captain America. Every single Marvel comic that week had Green Lantern on the back cover, all staring back at me. It felt like the last scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” where thousand of the same thing were staring back at you.
I’m typically a ‘make mine Marvel’ kind of guy, so DC really surprised me with this one. In a summer where Marvel should have either Thor, The X-Men or Captain America movie ads on the back of their comics, they’re advertising the Green Lantern movie. I’m sure Dan Didio, Jim Lee, and Geoff Johns are drinking a glass of milk while they’re laughing their way to the bank. It’s your move Marvel.
-Jon
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That’s kinda awesome, sneaky and smart. Love your description of discovering the Green Lantern ad! (^_^)
I was also puzzled by the ads, but imagine if you were running Marvel’s sales department. Green Lantern is tracking at 26% on Rotten Tomatoes — half of what Mr. Popper’s Penguins is reaping — while Thor ranked at 77% and X-Men First Class is up at 87%. So Marvel’s clearly winning the summer movie war in the fans’ opinion, and probably at the box office as well when it’s all over. And then on top of that, DC comes to you and says, “We wanna buy the back cover on all your books next month.” So Marvel thumps DC in the theater, and DC is *paying* them on top of it. If you’re an ad weasel, that’s a clear-cut victory.
I am not an ad weasel, so I just wish both companies would stop fooling around with marketing & branding experiments and get back to making more great comics than so-so comics.