MISSED TAKES

The reason for all this costly ad space? Ego massage, studio politicking and more.

As a veteran publicist points out, if a studio plans to have ongoing relations with a particular star, a little hype doesn’t hurt.

“On the surface, it can seem like a waste of money,” admitted the publicist, “but, even in the case of a campaign for ‘Cobra,’ it can have a payoff. I mean, if Stallone makes another movie for Warners and figures, ‘Hey, they were nice to me with that ad campaign,’ he might show up to work early a couple days. That alone would more than pay for those ads.”