RESEARCH OVERVIEW
Sept 2014
DOMESTIC
2
We found that Annie is a beloved brand across General Audiences and families who are
connected to the character/story as they know it – and specifically to its lovable, optimistic redheaded heroine.
But there was apprehension about the casting in the upcoming Annie reboot – audiences weren’t
sure that Quevanzhané Wallis could be Annie.
Rules of the Campaign:
• It was key to introduce our Annie and get audiences to fall in love with the same spunk and
charm they loved in the classic Annie character they knew before.
• Audiences need help getting past the physical changes to the iconic character, so we needed to
preserve and convey the classic essence of Annie’s character and the themes behind her
story to ensure what they love about the brand isn’t changing.
• Jamie Foxx: With strong fanship among the General Audience, emphasizing his modern take
on Daddy Warbucks can draw in General Audiences, especially males.
• Comedy: Consider making the humor a bit edgier than the classic – still appropriate for kids,
but comedy for adults too.
• Holiday Event: With a Christmas release, convey that seeing ANNIE at the theater will be a fun
activity to do with family and friends.
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At its first screening in Long Beach, Annie played to a highly favorable response among a family audience.
• Parents’ “excellent” ratings and “definite recommend” scores (to friends and parents) were very strong among
mothers and the limited number of fathers in the audience.
• Top box ratings among kids were solid across the board (led by older kids).
• Word of mouth scores among kids were somewhat above the norm overall and in most segments, but
dipped among boys who were understandably more hesitant to tell friends they should see the movie
musical right away.
• It’s important to note that this screening was comprised of 36% Caucasians, 29% African Americans, and 24%
Hispanics.
Parents
Kids
Excellent
Top 2
Def. Rec
Def. Rec to
Parents
Total
68
93
85
87
Dads
76
90
81
90
Moms
66
94
86
86
Total
77
96
71
Boys
80
91
57
Girls
75
98
76
Under 10
73
96
71
10-12
81
96
72
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At its second screening in Westminster, CO, Annie again played to a positive response among parents and kids.
• Playability scores suggest that Annie played better to the Long Beach family audience than a family audience
from the Denver area.
• The variation in response was mainly among parents, as their Denver scores were good (5-10 points above
norm), but their Long Beach scores were well above average (22-28 points above norm).
• Kids had a fairly similar response at both locations, with scores only a few points higher in Long Beach (3-4
points higher overall).
• Mothers and girls were the most favorable segments in the Denver family audience.
• In terms of ethnic composition, Caucasians comprised a much larger percentage of the Denver audience (67%
vs. 36% in Long Beach) while the most enthusiastic segment, African-Americans, were nearly absent from the
Denver screening (3% vs. 29% in Long Beach).
Parents
Kids
Excellent
Top 2
Def. Rec
Def. Rec to
Parents
Total
45
84
70
75
Dads
34
74
56
68
Moms
49
87
76
77
Total
73
94
68
Boys
65
91
63
Girls
77
97
70
Under 10
74
98
65
10-12
73
92
70
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At its third screening in Dallas, TX, Annie again played to a positive (and improved) response among parents and kids
(with mothers and girls once again responding the most favorably).
• Playability scores suggest that Annie played better to a Dallas family audience than a family audience in the Denver area
but not quite as strong as family audiences in Long Beach.
• The variation in response was mainly among parents, with Dallas parents registering ratings and scores that were notably
more favorable than the response among parents in the Denver area.
• Ratings were 19 points above norm (up 14 points) and word of mouth scores were 18-20 points above norm (up
8-10 points).
• Ratings and scores among children were on par with the Westminster, CO audience, with kids in Long Beach continuing
to be just a touch more favorable.
• In terms of ethnic composition, the Dallas audience was more diverse than the Denver crowd. 45% were Caucasians
(compared to 67% in Denver and 36% in Long Beach). African-Americans comprised 28% of the audience (vs. 3% in
Denver and 29% in Long Beach). In addition 22% of the audience was Hispanic (compared to 15% in Denver and 25% in
Long Beach).
Parents
Kids
Excellent
Top 2
Def. Rec
Def. Rec to
Parents
Total
59
90
80
83
Dads
53
91
74
81
Moms
61
89
82
83
Total
72
91
64
Boys
59
78
50
Girls
76
95
69
Under 10
70
91
64
10-12
75
92
65
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Focus Groups were conducted in Boston and Denver.
Groups consisted of Girls 7-15 and Moms of Girls 7-15 (Caucasian and African American)
Groups #1
Groups # 2
Boston, MA | April 4th, 2014
Shown: Trailers
Denver, CO | August 5th, 2014
Shown: TV Spots + Trailers
Very promising, at the end of each group, every
participant said they’d be definitely interested in seeing
the movie in a theater.
• Humor is the most significant driver of interest for
Annie.
• Trailers that worked best showcased a series of
humorous events and presented the movie in a
fun, upbeat light tone from beginning to end.
• Music continues to be a defining component of Annie,
but with such a large percentage of participants having
seen a previous iteration of the film, the name Annie
alone promises the music they love.
• The majority of females were happy to let the music
take a backseat to humor, story, and characterization.
Girls under 11 were the most enthusiastic towards the
music and dancing.
• The original Annie is beloved and it should be noted
that materials needn’t veer too far away from the film
people know and recognize. The differences between
then and now might be finer selling points, but most
still want the familiar core of Annie to stay true in its
modern incarnation.
With the exception of the teen girl group, the spots were
quite effective in generating definite interest.
• Moms were shown the current trailer before viewing
the two new pieces and all agreed the new versions
were good complements to the existing one.
• The elements that work best in the trailer are a sense
of fun, emotion, and adventure. These elements are
especially important when considering our competition
over the holiday.
• Complementary TV campaigns, with one set focusing on
girls and another on moms, could be beneficial.
• Young girls particularly responded to big comedy, big
dance, and big (large) living.
• Moms, on the other hand, wanted to see that story
and character arcs were going to be present in the
movie.
• Moms also had an adverse reaction to spots that
hinted at a romantic relationship between Jamie
Foxx and Rose Byrne. While it was never said
outright, the sentiment conveyed, especially among
African American moms, was that they disliked the
possibility of an interracial relationship.
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Trailer Test #1
Trailer Test #2
Hard Knock v. 9
Connection v.17
• Tested below average, but given
the true teaser nature of this
trailer lower scores are to be
expected.
• AA kids and parents are
considerably more interested, but
results still left room for
improvement.
•Top Draws:
• A wholesome and fun story
for the whole family
• Appealing cast – especially
Foxx and Diaz
• Modern re-imagining of a
well-liked story
•Top Obstacles
• Too girly for boys, parents of
boys, and dads
• Polarizing musical Genre
• Could be too boring – not
enough action or humor
• Family is the core audience
• Important to convey a clear conflict
and mission for Annie to embark on
• Top Draws
• A wholesome and fun story for
the whole family
• Appealing cast – especially Foxx
and Diaz
• Modern re-imagining of a wellliked story
• Drew more enthusiasm for the
music and humor
• Top Obstacles
• Too girly and ‘female’ for general
viewers
• Polarizing musical genre
• Remake was unnecessary
Trailer Test #3
Connection V.35
Dream v. 14
• Core audience received them well,
making strong improvements over
the first test and providing clear
path forward for initial trailer
release.
• Recommend raising the stakes
emotionally, showing Mr. Stack’s
becoming increasingly concerned
for Annie, and in plot by indicating
(in different ways) that there will be
some obstacles before a triumphant
ending.
• Top Draws
• Music and humor
• A good, fun, inspirational story
• Modern re-imagining of a beloved
story
• Top Obstacles
• Polarizing musical genre
• Numerous versions already exist
• Too girly for some viewers
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INTERNATIONAL
9
UK
JAPAN
Brand familiarity: Very good
Brand familiarity: Solid-to-good
•Brand is pretty well-known, and even more so
among adults.
•About half overall have heard songs from
ANNIE
• Girls most likely to be big fans
•Known for being family-friendly, classic
• While not as quite high as the UK, decent
familiarity and favorability
• Female generals likely the most gettable audience;
girls and moms will need a bit more convincing
• An inspirational, more character-driven approach
might work best here
•Moms, girls, and (to a lesser extent) female
generals are the target; males will be tough to
convert
•The music, “fun factor”, and promise of a new take
on ANNIE will be key selling points
FRANCE
GERMANY
Brand familiarity: Weak
Brand familiarity: Weak
• Limited profile
•Most have no experience with the brand
•Limited profile
•Most have no experience with the brand
10
Definite Interest
Definite Interest
Definite Interest
Girls
Norm
Moms*
Norm
Girls
Norm
Moms*
Norm
Girls
Norm
Moms*
Norm
57
40
50
35
42
40
38
40
28
30
30
30
*Interest in taking child
Gen.
Aud
28
Males
*Interest in taking child
Females
<25
25+
<25
25+
14
18
35
43
Norm
30
•Encouraging scores among moms
and girls (driven by younger girls 7-9)
•Among general audiences, older
females (25+) are also in a good
place
•Guys are largely un-gettable for this
film; the musical genre is a main
barrier
•The “fun factor” and music drive
interest
•Annie is a popular character, and
audiences look forward to seeing a
fresh take
Gen.
Aud
21
Males
*Interest in taking child
Females
<25
25+
<25
25+
14
11
32
27
Norm
30
•Moderate responses across key
segments (girls, moms, and gen.
audience females).
•Guys are largely un-gettable for this
film; the musical genre is a main
barrier
•Annie is likeable character for moms
and girls who find the orphan story
as well as her personality appealing
•Primary Interest due to perceiving
Annie as a fun film for families but
this perception may hold back older
girls as they feel it looks too young
for them
Gen.
Aud
23
Males
Females
<25
25+
<25
25+
14
14
32
30
Norm
20
•There’s some potential for ANNIE
among general audiences in Japan;
the trailer got a very good response
among females
•Moms and girls might be tricky:
young girls may be mostly on board,
but moms aren’t convinced their kids
will like or understand the story
•The inspirational story, a desire to
root for Annie, and the music are top
interest drivers
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BLUE
Poster tests were conducted among moviegoers consisting of Moms,
teen girls, and girls 7-12 in the UK and Germany to determine which
poster was most effective in driving interest to see ANNIE.
In both the UK and Germany the BLUE poster was the clear winner.
RED
Across all segments definite
interest post-Blue exposure
was higher than Red – even
among Annie fans.
The Red background, though
eye-catching, overpowers
the other elements. The Blue
cityscape offers a better
balance and provides more
details about the film.
Blue generated greater
interest among Annie fans
and wins out in the forced
choice horserace against Red
among all segments.
The blue cityscape was seen
as more inviting, family
friendly, funny, and cool.
Again moviegoers found the
Red to be overpowering.
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UK
Odeon Kingston
London
May 27th, 2014
London moviegoers responded
positively at the recruited screening.
Film played well among girls 7-12 and
promisingly teen girls who recommend
scores were above average .
Mom’s were receptive to the film as
well score at norm.
Upcoming Screenings
MEXICO
Cinemex Universidad
Mexico City
October 4th, 2014
JAPAN
Tokyo
November 22, 2014
Main draws to the screening were the
Cast (Diaz and Fox) and familiarity with
the Annie Story/Movie
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