Marketing Effort Hands Girls the Reins to ‘Spirit’

Coming off its phenomenal success with “Shrek,” DreamWorks knew its next animated movie, “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,” was a horse of an altogether different color. The title character narrates the film but neither he nor any other animals talk in the film, only the humans do. The movie has plenty of visual gags and fast-paced action, vividly depicted in wide-screen, but one marketing hurdle remained: The movie is about a horse, and for whatever reason, girls are much more interested in horses than boys are.

Fully aware that “Spider-Man” and “Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones” would be holding onto the coveted young-boy demographic, executives decided they had to go after another, often overlooked group--teenage girls.

The studio was “all over this,” said Laura Groppe, founder of Girls Intelligence Agency, a girls marketing research group based in Venice. Groppe said executives told her to “go for it, make it a girl movie.”

So, she contracted to assist DreamWorks with its “Spirit” publicity. Using the GIA Internet site, www.planetlala.com, GIA began spreading the word about “Spirit,” which opened nationwide Friday. The company coordinated screenings and writing contests about horses. Studio co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg even trekked to several events organized by GIA to discuss the movie with hundreds of teenage girls around the nation. “Spirit” marks the first time that GIA partnered to such an extent with a major studio.

But DreamWorks’ strategy of targeting girls was something of a gamble in an industry where high box office returns are driven primarily by 14-year-old boys. And it appears the studio itself was somewhat divided over the decision--with some executives (including Katzenberg) arguing that the film appeals as much to young boys as young girls.

Studio marketing executives, however, felt they had little choice but to offer “Spirit” as counter-programming. The movie, which was made using both 3-D and 2-D animation, features a wild mustang (the voice of Matt Damon) narrating the story of the Wild West.

“When the competing product is “Spider-Man” and “Star Wars,” a horse is probably the third choice for a boy. A horse is first choice for a girl,” said DreamWorks marketing chief, Terry Press.

The girl market cannot be dismissed, Press added.

“Those of us who were at Disney remember ‘The Little Mermaid,’ ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Pocahontas,’ and know that you can have success with girl-driven movies,” she said. Press said DreamWorks has learned from past mistakes in trying to market its movies as all things to everyone. In addition, other films with romantic plot lines, such as Paramount’s “Save the Last Dance” last year and even Fox’s 1997 mega-hit “Titanic,” received big box-office returns thanks primarily to a strong moviegoing girl audience.

At the same time, there have been some extraordinary flops, like last year’s “Josie and the Pussycats” from Universal and Warner Bros.’ 1995 “A Little Princess,” which never found an audience despite widespread critical acclaim.

“The trap that you fall into is trying to be all things for everybody these days,” Press said. “This time we decided we are going to speak to our primary audience because they are underserved.”

As the person in charge of DreamWorks’ animated movies, Katzenberg is hesitant to narrow the film’s appeal strictly to girls.

“There has always been some kind of a special connection between horses and girls, so certainly that is something to target,” he said. “But ultimately we are all trying to reach the broadest possible audience. It is a flat-out action-adventure movie.”

Groppe of Girls Intelligence Agency is hoping “Spirit” will succeed so that studios will make more movies for young girls. According to Teenage Research Unlimited, a consumer marketing clearinghouse, girls 8 to 18 spend more than $67 billion annually on consumer items including entertainment, apparel and cosmetics. Teens bought 40% of the movie tickets sold last year and more than half were girls, according to the MPAA. And yet, it is the teenage boy that the movie industry most often courts.

Girls need to make their presence known to the studios, said Groppe, who sees her mission as increasing awareness “about girls being able to affect change in the world by using their voice and their dollars.” In an era of female sports heroes and female-driven action movies like “Charlie’s Angels,” it was also important that the movie not appear to be “soft,” said Mireille Soria, co-producer of the film who also participated in several GIA-sponsored mentoring sessions with girls.

“The marketing challenge was that if you see an animated movie about horses, the presumption is that it’s soft,” Soria said. “But this was not a soft movie. I mean the model for ‘Spirit’ was Bruce Willis in ‘Die Hard.’”

But despite their long association with cowboys, horses’ biggest appeal remains that ages-old affinity with girls--a topic that has been studied at least as far back as Freud.

From Elizabeth Taylor sighing for horses in “National Velvet,” to Tatum O’Neill updating the film in 1978 with “International Velvet,” to Warner Bros.’ 1994 version of “Black Beauty,” girls and horses have been frequent costars. On June 18, Warner Bros. Home Video will release “The Saddle Club: Adventures at Pine Hollow,” based on the bestselling horse-book series for kids--also starring three young girls.

Brad Globe, head of DreamWorks consumer merchandizing, said putting together a campaign focused on girls and horses was a natural.

The focus on girls could help “Spirit” merchandise at a time when toy retailers in particular are increasingly reluctant to devote shelf space to movie products, which have often been riskier and short-lived.

“Spirit’s” girl-oriented goods, such as tie-dyed dresses, pastel bedding and giant plush horses, offer an alternative to the action figures and battle toys from “Star Wars” and “Spider-Man.”

That was part of the strategy, say executives at DreamWorks, which is launching its biggest-ever licensing campaign with “Spirit,” which includes promotional tie-ins with Burger King, Baskin-Robbins, Blockbuster, Ralph’s, M&Ms; and even Spirit Airlines.

The studio has licensed Hasbro, the second-largest toy manufacturer in the world, to make Spirit and Rain horses with play sets, and Breyer Toy Co., which makes horse-related toys. Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Co. will be making a plush Spirit stuffed animal.

Still, some toy-industry analysts question DreamWork’s ability to push products based on an animated horse. Unlike “Shrek,” a unique character that was easily identifiable by children, “Spirit” runs the risk of being too much like other toys that are not associated with the movie--and don’t funnel a portion of sales to the studio.

“To some shoppers, a horse is a horse is a horse,” said Marty Brochstein, executive editor of the Licensing Letter. “Generics are going to eat into the potential sales. If they assume that and plan that way, it’s all well and good, but they have to deal with that reality.”

Additionally, knowing that statistics show girls read more than boys, the studio licensed Penguin Books to publish a series of stories on the movie--with individual books focusing on Spirit’s mother, Esperanza, and Rain, as well as on Spirit. The studio has also partnered with libraries around the U.S. where reading five books gets you a free “Spirit” movie ticket.

Although small in numbers, compared to the general population, the horseriding community is dominated by women, according to observers in the recreational horseriding industry. DreamWorks has also approached companies such as Farnam Co., the nation’s largest horse-products retailer, for its campaign.

The nation’s largest horse trade shows are skewed about 80% toward women, according to Heather Hoff, director of marketing for Farnam. Whether it’s grooming products, horse-decorated jewelry, home decor or clothing, it is women who make the buying decisions.

“It is a very, very high percentage female consumer group,” Hoff said. “People who have horses want to be certain that they are identified in that way. That is why they buy clothing with a horse motif, jewelry, leather bags, etc.”

Although there are several psychological theories about females’ fascination with horses, others have simpler explanations.

Novelist and horse lover Jane Smiley said horses are not only majestic animals, but they also allow people to feel a kind of freedom riding them that no other animal can give.

“A horse is the ultimate Prince Charming,” Smiley said. “Not only can you pet it and love it but also ride it and be galloping around and be free.... All horse things are marketed to girls. That is the safest bet.”

And Bob Foster, a Boy Scout leader who is involved with riding at Equestrian Trails in Sylmar, surmises that, in general, boys see horses as a means to an end, while girls form a relationship with the animal.

“When I take boys out riding, they take the horse out and when we are done, we are done. With girls, they will comb its mane out and talk to it,” said the father of two girls and one boy. “In general, boys see horses as a tool, like a motorcycle, whereas girls see the horse as a friend.”

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Times staff writer Abigail Goldman contributed to this story.