Movie Trailers Now Include Commercials

Despite all common sense, there’s a new Resident Evil movie opening this year. The first teaser trailer for Resident Evil: Retribution hit the web this week, and to many people’s surprise, the first 25 seconds or so is an advertisement for Sony products. See for yourself after the break.

The Internet is full of video players that show pre-roll ads before the video actually starts, but this commercial is actually part of the trailer itself. It plays after the green trailer title card and loosely connects itself to the film with the globe transition. The content of the ad isn’t surprising since the film’s distributor Screen Gems is a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

While I have never seen this particular style of blatant cross promotion before, this looks to be a new trend in film and television advertising. We saw earlier this week how television shows are getting in on the action. With new technologies, it is easier for people to find alternative ways to watch television shows and movies, so it is not surprising that studios and networks are looking for news ways to up their revenue. Unfortunately, subtlety isn’t an issue. Just look at the SOPA bill.

Resident Evil: Retribution opens September 14th.

Source: /Film