History Main / MisaimedMerchandising

*** This Troper did. I was in fact rather dissapointed when the back of the Bertie Bott's tin told you what the flavors were.

** this troper had an original Belle Barbie from the '90's, and she had both the blue and golden dresses. Not so much anymore, she guesses.

** I realize I'm probably [[TropeCodifier codifying the trope]], but why don't they do that for some of the [[FormulaOne other racing fandoms?]]

*** Doesn't anyone remember the ''StarWars'' Vans in the 70s? The same old Matchbox or Hot Wheels vans, except with Darth Vader or C-3PO on them. (on the other hand, if there had been a later ''Return of the Jedi'' one with the partially completed Death Star, it would be an amusing accidental {{Defictionalization}} from the sixth season of ''[[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]]'').
*** ThisTroper has seen a ''{{Daredevil}}'' die-cast car. I'm NOT FUCKING KIDDING.

**** Did it fire [[IncrediblyLamePun Nerf bats]]?

** This troper has only heard of them in North/South American countries.
** Every child under 13 in this Troper's neighborhood has seen Avatar, actually. As long as it keeps the kiddies quiet, parents don't care what it is anymore.

** Are we sure that's MisaimedMarketing? Japanese otakudom is legendary for being an extremely weird lot.
** And as seen in some TV Tropes pages ([[AssimilationPlot this one in particular]]), LCL is compared to Tang among the fandom.
** [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Also, LCL in Rebuild is apparently red.]]
*** And didn't Shinji say that LCL tastes like ''blood'' in the series??
**** That explains Mari's quote on the character page...
* The ''SuzumiyaHaruhi'' LightNovels: "''Series/{{Heroes}}'' meets ''HannahMontana''!" and "If you loved ''{{Twilight}}'' you will love this!" Just they wait 'till the complex time travel bits.
** Or the constant obscure literary/mythological/historical/mathematical references. Or you know, [[ViewersAreGeniuses anything that comes out of]] [[LemonyNarrator Kyon]], [[EmotionlessGirl Yuki]] or [[ThePhilosopher Koizumi's]] mouths.
** "If you loved '''''{{Twilight}}?'''''" I can't think of a single remotely significant similarity between them. Seems like a good way to drive off both [[MostTropersAreYoungNerds your target audience]] and the PeripheryDemographic by setting up a massive pile of wrong expectations...
*** To be fair not everyone who has read Twilight only reads stuff like, well, [[ShapedLikeItself Twilight.]]

** Some of the merchandise in the film wasn't even accurate. If this Troper recalls correctly, "Spaceballs the coloring book" was a ''{{Transformers}}'' item.

&categoryN[[HisDarkMaterials http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DSC006091_copy.jpg]][[caption-width:345:He eats people's hearts.]]

* One of the biggest inspirations for this trope: the stuffed animals (see picture) and PEZ dispensers (!?!) of nearly all the major nonhuman characters in ''HisDarkMaterials''. And that's not to mention the [[CompletelyMissingThePoint plastic toy Alethiometers]] given away at Burger King. These were all meant to promote "TheGoldenCompass" movie. Sadly, they turned out to be very indicative of just [[TheyJustDidntCare how seriously]] the film-makers were treating the source material.

** When the first film came out, the Voldemort action figure was, in fact, an action figure of Professor Quirrell. [[http://www.amazon.com/Voldemort-Harry-Potter-Sorcerers-Stone/dp/B0014NBXPS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1282919528&sr=1-5 With green skin.]] That's close enough, right?

-->''"And a Hollywood movie that's rated for older viewers, PG-13 or R, has a whole line of toys and products marketed to children 3, 4, and 5 years old."''\\

*** That's going ''a bit far'' - there are some who hate the UnicronTrilogy for doing things differently than [[TransformersGeneration1 G1]], but... [[RuinedFOREVER they hate everything for that reason]] regardless of where it came from, and toy sales and ratings don't bear out the theory that that sentiment is universal. Very few fans have had access to the BW dub, and Kiss Players is mostly a joke. The Drift-hate is less due to his being Japan-based and more due to his being [[MarySue something more suited to a ten-year-old boy's first effort on Fanfiction.net]] and [[TheWesley rammed down our throats]] no matter how much fans cry for mercy.

** Cute Scabbers plushies were made in conjunction with the first two movies, [[spoiler:when anyone who'd read the third book, released two years before the first film, already knew Scabbers would turn out to be a creepy little man who betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort.]]

* It's not like the ''ToyStory'' franchise isn't suited for merchandising ({{Understatement}} of the year, in fact) but one particular toy, of the [[TheStoolPigeon telephone character]] in the third movie, has a speech function... and it sounds a bit ''odd'' to have a toy designed for 3-year-olds say lines like "I've been here for years, they'll never break me!" in a {{Noir}} style accent.

* In Japan they were apparently selling "LCL" brand orange juice as a tie-in for the recent ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'' remake movies. For those who aren't Eva fans, LCL is a fluid humans can breathe in that fills the EVA cockpits [[spoiler:that's actually the harvested blood of an EldritchAbomination]]. And in TheMovie GrandFinale, [[spoiler:[[{{Instrumentality}} every human being on earth melts into LCL]]]]. It's almost like releasing Film/SoylentGreen brand tofu. Besides ''that'' issue, part of the [[FreudWasRight Freudian overtones]] of the EVA designs also make it analogous to ''amniotic fluids''.

* Burger King promoted the ''[=~SpongeBob SquarePants~=]'' kids' meals with a commercial featuring... a "[[SirMixALot Baby Got Back]]" parody music video: girls in hot pants with square appliances on their backsides shaking their booties to "I like square butts and I cannot lie!" to hock fast food and cheap toys to six-year-olds, with TheBurgerKing standing around them. Who thought this was a good idea?!

* The Character Greetings at DisneyThemeParks have gotten some pretty strange additions. Meeting regular villains is pretty justifiable, since EvilIsCool, but they've had greeting for villains that qualify for CompleteMonster status, including [[Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Frollo]] and ''ToyStory 3''[='=]s [[spoiler:Lotso]]. That's right kids, come meet the genocidal {{yandere}}!
** On the subject of [[spoiler:Lotso]], Disney went all the way and generated ''deliberate'' Misaimed Marketing for the character before the release of ''Toy Story 3'' so that TheReveal of his utterly depraved nature in the movie would be made even more shocking (Of course, no one would know that it is Misaimed Marketing before then.). After the release of the movie, the usage of this trope with him firmly becomes straight though.

* In the BabylonFive episode "There All the Honor Lies," Earthforce opens a gift shop in the station with Babylon 5 merchandise: clothing, model ships, space alien masks, human masks (for space aliens!), [[spoiler:Londo Mollari dolls]], [[spoiler:John Sheridan]] "Bear-B-Lon 5" teddy bears; the works. Neither Ivanova, nor Sheridan, nor [[spoiler:Londo]] like it at all.

** Also the only reason [[spoiler:Londo]] didn't like it was because his toy didn't accurately portray [[ExoticEquipment his]] [[NaughtyTentacles assets]]. IfYouKnowWhatIMean.

[[HisDarkMaterials http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DSC006091_copy.jpg]][[caption-width:345:He eats people's hearts.]]

* An ''InvaderZim'' [[http://shop.leapfrog.com/leapfrog/jump/Didj%22-Game%3A-Nicktoons-Android-Invasion/productDetail/Didj-Games/lfprod30677/cat100008?navAction=jump&navCount=0&categoryNav=false edutainment game]]... ([[MassiveMultiplayerCrossover sorta]]) JhonenVasquez is probably choking on tacos as [[{{Pikawil}} I]]'m writing this.

** They managed to sell the Shrek-brand herion.

** Of course, the irony here is that the near entirety of the ''Transformers'' franchise is for kids. The movies, which just happen to be the most mainstream out of the older-audience-oriented ''Transformers'' lore, feature sexual humor, swearing and disturbed amounts of violence against robots. One thinks it may be the ''canon'' that's missed the point.

** When the first film came out, the Voldemort action figure was, in fact, an action figure of Professor Quirrell. With green skin. That's close enough, right?

-->Dressed in her beautiful sparkling gown, this Disney Sparkling Princess Mulan doll is ready for the ball and ready to meet her prince.

* [[Film/PrinceOfPersia Prince Of Persia]] is rated PG-13, but I don't think children seeing this movie is much of a problem. Test audiences loved it and recommended it to their children and when I was in theatres, kids were very happy with the movie.

* [[Film/PrinceOfPersia ''Prince Of Persia'']] is rated PG-13, but I don't think children seeing this movie is much of a problem. Test audiences loved it and recommended it to their children and when I was in theatres, kids were very happy with the movie.

* Or how 'bout what [[WaltDisney Disney]]'s does with its "DisneyPrincess" line -- including {{Mulan}}. Nope, no female empowerment or ass-kicking SweetPollyOliver from an ancient story here, she's just lumped in with the princesses and put in pretty dresses and makeup. Did we mention that the whole first part of the movie is about how much she ''hates'' being "girly" and how little it suits her? She isn't even a Princess to begin with! And don't get us stated on what they've done to {{Pocahontas}}.
** That's not all that's wrong with the Princess line, though, oh no. Dig how "Princess" [[Film/BeautyAndTheBeast Belle]] is never seen in the blue dress she wears throughout the movie or with a book in hand. Marvel at how [[Disney/SleepingBeauty Aurora]] wears pink, and only pink (look closely. They also give her purple eyes). Rejoice that all your favorite heroines spend their days in toy stores posing and staring vaguely into the distance, swishing their sparkly gowns in the same exactly poses over and over again, in recycled, off-model clipart slapped onto every pink backpack they can find. Their coloring books and DirectToVideo features are filled with stories about spring cleaning, going to the market, and setting up parties for their friends. Not an adventure in sight, [[SarcasmMode thank goodness]].

* Live theater souvenir merchandise usually consists of souvenir programs, mugs, T-shirts, etc. CirqueDuSoleil goes further (especially online) with jewelry, accessories, stationery, and fine art pieces, many of which don't relate to one show in particular, but just the company in general. It's not unlike Disney's adult-targeted merchandise, but it does result in oddities such as Cirque-decorated salt and pepper shakers and lip balm in a decorated tin.

* Don't forget the amazing array of [[TheSimpsons Krusty-Brand products]] ranging from home pregnancy tests ("May cause birth defects") to contracts ("Hey hey! They're binding!") to facial hair removers (which are "probably" supposed to make your upper lip bleed (according to Johnny Unitas)).
** There's also an episode where Krusty realizes he has sold out and becomes a stand up comedian, launching several tirades against his former sponsors. And then [[StatusQuoIsGod he's back to endorsing]] a two-lane gas guzzling SUV.

* SaturdayNightLive had an ad for ''Philadelphia'' action figures (and a video game), made by a company that apparently [[TheyJustDidntCare just didn't care]] because it warped the whole thing into a sci-fi/fantasy concept. There was also an ad for a fast food joint, KCF Shredders (it specialized in coleslaw), that noted their kids' meals currently had ''How Stella Got Her Groove Back'' toys.

* In Japan they were apparently selling "LCL" brand orange juice as a tie-in for the recent ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'' remake movies. For those who aren't Eva fans, LCL is a fluid humans can breathe in that fills the EVA cockpits [[spoiler:that's actually the harvested blood of an EldritchAbomination]]. And in TheMovie GrandFinale, [[spoiler:[[{{Instrumentality}} every human being on earth melts into LCL]]]]. It's almost like releasing Film/SoylentGreen brand tofu. Besides ''that'' issue, part of the [[FreudWasRight Freudian overtones]] of the EVA designs also make it analogous to ''amniotic fluids''. SoYeah.

--''''Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood''''

* ''{{Spaceballs}}'' milked this trope for every joke it could get, including "Spaceballs the bedsheets", "Spaceballs the toilet paper", and, "Spaceballs the Flamethrower, the kids always like that one.". The gag even extended to home video releases with the VHS case being branded "Spaceballs the Home Video" and the DVD menu opening with, well, guess. Thing is, though, Mel Brooks actually agreed for there to be very limited merchandising of the film, as per a request by George Lucas.
** Some of the merchandise in the film wasn't even accurate. If this Troper recalls correctly Spaceballs the coloring book was a {{Transformers}} item.

*** On a similar note, the Simpsons features a "My Dinner with Andre" arcade game. Naturally it's played by Martin.

* In ''{{Watchmen}}'', Ozymandias has an action figure line planned using the main characters, all of whom are [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructed]] superheroes, at best antiheroes and at worst mass-murdering psychopaths. However, official ones are being released as a movie tie in--it's not clear whether this is tongue-in-cheek or whether they're just milking all they can out of it.
** Also, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jeslfkbmcE this fan video]] claiming to be an unaired 80-s ad for an Ozymandias action figure.
** Some of the other real life tie-in Film/{{Watchmen}} movie products include Nite Owl themed coffee, lunchboxes and blue condoms with the tagline: "We're society's only protection!". [[http://www.watchmencomicmovie.com/021609-watchmen-movie-dr-manhattan-condom.php No joke]].
*** ''TheSimpsons'' has done this several times (including the Krusty products mentioned above), but the best is Milhouse asking AlanMoore to autograph his ''Watchmen [[SpinoffBabies Babies]]'' (V for Vacation) DVD.
** Watchmen seems like a popular target for these parodies. To wit, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDDHHrt6l4w&feature=channel_page Saturday Morning Watchmen]].

* ''FightClub'' deals with modern society's repression of the masculine instinct, with pain, adrenaline and physical reality replaced by vapid consumerism and technology, with Tyler's whole philosophy revolving around rejecting the artificial, emasculating pleasures of modern living and embracing the harsh but fulfilling existence of our ancestors. In light of all that, one can only imagine the sort of rant Tyler Durden would give upon finding out that there's a ''[[TheProblemWithLicensedGames video game]]'' based on Fight Club.

-->''"Sure to please the toddler you brought with you to the PG-13 movie!"''\\
'''The Transformers Wiki''', on [[http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Bumblebee_%28Movie%29/toys#Cyber_Slammers_toys "Cyber Slammers" Bumblebee]]

* The old FPS game Blood had a secret level set in a small shopping mall. One of the stores had a nice display of Blood action figures, including little shotgun-wielding crazed cultists and scythe-wielding ghosts.