'Secrets of the Mountain': A Family Movie Night Opportunity
Happy, healthy families don't just happen. Instead, they are created through hard work and a commitment to learning and applying healthier ways of living. Last week we pointed out one way to develop healthier families was by developing healthy family TV habits and watching programs together.
Family movie nights have been a longstanding tradition in our home and with two teenagers, we take them whenever we can get them. I recently saw an NBC movie promotion that caught my interest. Last weekend when our family went to the theater to see "How to Train Your Dragon" (another good family movie by the way), we saw the promo trailer for "Secrets of the Mountain." The trailer portraits the feature as a family adventure movie in the same sentiment as "National Treasure" and looks like it is right up our alley.
In a tough economic market, advertisers have to be cautious and make sure they are getting the most for their advertising dollar. It seems top advertisers like Proctor and Gamble are aware of this and working to focus their dollars to their market consumer. Some of my favorite ads during the Winter Olympics were the P & G Thank You, Mom commercials. I suppose this was the desired response since I am their target audience, a mom in her mid-40s that is the primary shopper in the home.
Research shows that only 23 percent of American parents find satisfaction with what they find on TV today. The made-for-TV movie, Secrets of the Mountain has been created by the advertising powerhouses Wal-Mart and Proctor and Gamble to provide a "family-friendly" TV alternative. According to a February Wall Street Journal article, this is part of an overall strategy by both companies to target advertisement and product placement opportunities while also meeting a need in TV programming. I do find it interesting that NBC is the network that picked up the project but am glad they did. Certainly these companies know my generation grew up with the regular CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame features. Of course they know we insisted on Reese's Pieces as children because we saw them in "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" instead of M&M's.
Regardless of the business reasons, advertising and product placement, I am thrilled to see a focus on family friendly TV again. Unfortunately, my family will be away from home this Friday evening April 16. at 8 P.M. to watch our daughter perform in her school play. However, our DVR will be set and we will enjoy this family-friendly adventure later in the weekend because the message could not be better than "when times are tough, families don't run away from problems, they run back to each other."
What do you think of this TV concept? Do you consider this a healthy TV option?
Family movie nights have been a longstanding tradition in our home and with two teenagers, we take them whenever we can get them. I recently saw an NBC movie promotion that caught my interest. Last weekend when our family went to the theater to see "How to Train Your Dragon" (another good family movie by the way), we saw the promo trailer for "Secrets of the Mountain." The trailer portraits the feature as a family adventure movie in the same sentiment as "National Treasure" and looks like it is right up our alley.
In a tough economic market, advertisers have to be cautious and make sure they are getting the most for their advertising dollar. It seems top advertisers like Proctor and Gamble are aware of this and working to focus their dollars to their market consumer. Some of my favorite ads during the Winter Olympics were the P & G Thank You, Mom commercials. I suppose this was the desired response since I am their target audience, a mom in her mid-40s that is the primary shopper in the home.
Research shows that only 23 percent of American parents find satisfaction with what they find on TV today. The made-for-TV movie, Secrets of the Mountain has been created by the advertising powerhouses Wal-Mart and Proctor and Gamble to provide a "family-friendly" TV alternative. According to a February Wall Street Journal article, this is part of an overall strategy by both companies to target advertisement and product placement opportunities while also meeting a need in TV programming. I do find it interesting that NBC is the network that picked up the project but am glad they did. Certainly these companies know my generation grew up with the regular CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame features. Of course they know we insisted on Reese's Pieces as children because we saw them in "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" instead of M&M's.
Regardless of the business reasons, advertising and product placement, I am thrilled to see a focus on family friendly TV again. Unfortunately, my family will be away from home this Friday evening April 16. at 8 P.M. to watch our daughter perform in her school play. However, our DVR will be set and we will enjoy this family-friendly adventure later in the weekend because the message could not be better than "when times are tough, families don't run away from problems, they run back to each other."
What do you think of this TV concept? Do you consider this a healthy TV option?
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Comments
Every three and a half minutes the movie was interrupted by a typical hokey, self-serving Walmart ad shoved down my throat! I did not know that the world's largest invasive, resource-sucking, cheap goods importer, would be invading my home and sucking out the fun of a hoped-for enjoyable evening.
I did a survey last month and it was all about ads. Most of it was rating walmart ads and they were all aired last night! The movie was great, Barry Bostwick is the greatest, which is the ONLY reason I stayed tuned.
After watching the PBS docvumentary about this scary mogul company, I never grace the gazillion doorways of these blue walls. It was like being invited to a wedding only to be assaulted by your most annoying, greedy, low-life relative standing on the dais trying to ram Amway down your throat! - 4/17/2010 5:48:31 AM
For the people that are upset by SP "recommending" watching TV as a family to have some quality family bonding, would you be just as upset if they suggested you go to the movie theater? I don't know about you, but I don't want to spend $12 per person for a movie theater! Besides, I can control what we snack on at home through portion size and healthy choices. Try getting a veggie tray at the movie theater! - 4/16/2010 7:01:44 PM
To those who find Walmart objectional, my brother works for Walmart. He likes his job and is an excellent employee. Walmart hired him when few other places would. He has now worked for the company for 8 years and has healthcare. Walmart provides part time work for seniors and others. Those who do not like working for Walmart always have an option to look for employment elsewhere. This is the beauty of America. - 4/13/2010 3:59:26 PM
I appreciate being informed about family oriented forms of entertainment. There are too many non-family oriented things out there these days. - 4/13/2010 7:45:26 AM
Boring TV fare offends me FAR more than anything WalMart may have done or will ever do! - 4/13/2010 4:43:11 AM
When I used to attend plays at my kids schools, they gave me a program and on the back were thank you's to the SPONSORS...aka: Advertisers!
When I go to a movie at a theater or rent one, there are ads. When I go on Yahoo, Google, Facebook or SparkPeople there are ads.
You see, advertisers help offset expenses for many different things we see or use in our everyday lives. Wal-Mart, P & G and NBC are not evil, but they are in business because of you and me, and many others just like us who are trying to get as much out of our dollar as we can, to help improve our lives and the lives of our children (IF we have them, that is!).
I get emails from SP with recipes I know I will never cook or eat, but I simply use the delete button when I see the words Pickled Beets. I don't rant & rave because they are singling out those freaking beet lovers.
And I don't get bent out of shape because I get emails about Family Friendly movies just because my hubby & I are now empty-nester's (and I was one of those "mean moms" that kicked my kids outside to play after their homework was done by hand and not on a computer by themselves and not me, and after it got dark outside THEN they could come inside and watch a family-friendly TV show and not video games because we didn't buy them, and then made them go to bed at a decent hour so they could get up for school at the butt-crack-of-dawn and do it all over again!).
Sometimes we take ourselves too seriously...but that's JMHO.
- 4/13/2010 3:59:50 AM
I too do not care at all for Walmart ( my son worked for them for almost a year, he will never go in one again). But I did see the advertisement for this and it looks fun and family friendly. Which means it will be out on dvd in no time.
Also with nothing but repeats on Sat. night why put this show on a night where other popular shows are already on against this movie. - 4/12/2010 11:10:28 PM
Even the PG 13 movies can go farther than I think they should. Take out the bed sceens and the language. They really are unnessary intrusion of the mind. - 4/12/2010 4:53:07 PM
As far as news and favorite TV shows, well we just log on and watch a couple of our favorites. Fox is our favorite website to go to for watching our shows. News we can get anywhere. We don't miss all the junk on TV anymore. - 4/12/2010 4:05:11 PM
Luckily, I don't have any kids yet, and when I do, they will be raised TV-free. - 4/12/2010 3:34:47 PM
Chunk
Calling all Goonies
Team leader - 4/12/2010 1:49:07 PM
Pooky_P -- Sorry you have such a strong PC reaction to companies which are responding to families who are asking for fun, appropriate, clean entertainment for an 'occasional' family movie night. This collaboration between NBC, Walmart and Proctor and Gamble (loved their ads on the Olympics) is a step in the right direction. Have you seen what tv offers to children these days? Boycotts are for purveyors of filth, anger, violence and who are anti free speech. Walmart includes in their hiring (at least they do here) the young, the old, the handicapped and, they help families stay within their budget. Also, in our city they have a place in front for all the family issues advocates with their tables offering information about activities, local fund raisers and political issues. Only the local Saturday Grower's Market offers as much DIVERSITY. There is a place in this country for discussions about green, pro-life, pro-choice, tax changes, religious freedom AND Walmart in my book. America came to be FOR (first amendment) freedom of speech -- 'both sides.' I recently read the Constitution -- every American can learn why this country is unique from doing this. THANKS Spark People for these comment forums!!
AND thank you Pooky_P for starting this dialogue in our America. - 4/12/2010 1:45:06 PM
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