Johnny Ramone’s Tribute to be Memorialized in New Documentary
San Diego, CA (Sep 29, 2009) - San Diego-based 3D producer PassmoreLab, in conjunction with the Johnny Ramone Army, has confirmed that the legendary rocker’s memorial tribute will be filmed for a as-yet-untitled documentary during the previously announced 5th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute, which will take place at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 3, 2009.
Ramone’s annual tribute, now in its fifth year and attended by thousands of fans, takes place at the foot of his 8 ft. memorial bronze statue inside the cemetery.
The Hi-Definition 2D documentary will be worthy of the rockstar and will focus on capturing the raw, emotional, and endearing moments of the 5th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute – a day-long rock-icon tribute event attended by thousands — as told by the people who were there: his loyal fans, trusted comrades, and the attending celebrities and rock musicians Johnny influenced through his storied career.
Ramone, who created the enduring template for punk rock guitar with his blazing power chords and brutal licks, energized Ramones’ classics like “Blitzkrieg Bop”, “Rockaway Beach” and “Sheena is a Punk Rocker”. Ramone inspired generations of punk bands until his untimely death from prostate cancer in 2004, at age 55.
The film will capture all the action from the event as it happens — celebrity guests and speakers in attendance; autograph signings with sole surviving founding member, Ramones drummer & producer Tommy Ramone, and CJ Ramone; a rare memorabilia exhibit; an art show of original paintings by the legendary Ramones bassist Dee Dee Ramone; opening featurettes of 3D animated music videos from the Johnny Ramone Army and Osaka Popstar; and never-before-seen 3D photos of Johnny Ramone himself.
The evening will continue with a 2D version of the original “Rock ‘N Roll High School” theatrical trailer, which will be introduced by special guest PJ Soles, who appeared in the classic film decades ago; and “Night of the Living Pinheads”, a rare clip from the “Ramones RAW” DVD where the band is seen in South America and their van is being mobbed by adoring fans.
The filming and the evening will conclude with a vintage Ramones concert shot in 1977 entitled “Its Alive” and the 3D World Premiere of George Romero’s original 1968 cult classic “Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D”, produced by PassmoreLab, and introduced by actress Rose McGowan.
“Johnny’s annual tribute has become such an awe-inspiring event. We’ve started showing Johnny’s favorite movies and paired them with vintage Ramones concerts each year,” said John Cafiero, Chief of Staff of the Johnny Ramone Army. “This year, we are doing the same with ‘It’s Alive’ and premiering one of his all-time favorites with ‘Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D’. Capturing the tribute on film for the first time will be a great time capsule and a real testament to the power of Johnny’s legacy, and the timeless legacy of the Ramones. It’s very exciting and will be a lot of fun for the fans to be such a big part of it too.”
The documentary has been an inspiration for everyone involved, including the film-makers.
“We are honored to be a part of this tribute, and as filmmakers, we felt obligated to capture this moment in time so future generations can experience it as it happened” said Steve Glum, PassmoreLab’s head of Branding & Distribution. “The journey of so many fans, young and old, to be present at an event like this is proof of Johnny’s ever-enduring spirit, and we are thrilled to co-produce this film with JRA.”
“Every year after the tribute, I always feel bad that there’s nothing to remember it by. This year there will be.” said Linda Ramone, wife of the legendary guitarist and founding member of the Ramones.
The 5th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute and World Premiere of “Night of the Living Dead, Now in 3D” event are open to the public for a $10 per person minimum donation entrance fee with net proceeds benefiting the Johnny Ramone prostate cancer research fund at USC Westside Prostate Cancer Center lead by Dr. David Agus. Gates for the event will open at 5:30pm, and picnic dinners, drinks (including alcohol), pillows, blankets and small chairs are permitted. Attendees of the event will get free commemorative 3D glasses upon entering.
The 5th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute documentary will be released on DVD at a future date.
**Photo by Danny Fields, under exclusive license to JRA LLC. Reprinted by permission
Steve Glum interviewed by Martin Lindstrom
Steve Glum is interviewed for the Martin Lindstrom Video Report in NYC during the launch of Martin’s new book Buy•ology (http://www.martinlindstrom.com).
Ripley’s Times Square Grand Opening
The opening of the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in Times Square in NYC was a triumphant return for the brand. Ripley’s had been in NYC in the 30’s, then again in the 70’s before shutting down for the second time.
In 2007, we returned to NYC and I produced a huge Grand Opening media event. Red carpet, paparazzi, celebrities and a cast of BION freaks that left New York buzzing for weeks.
At the same time, I debuted the brand’s new “Freaking Out Families” marketing campaign in Times Square on billboard space located immediately above the Ripley’s Odditorium to coincide with the Grand Opening.
It was a perfect storm of marketing and public relations, with all elements working in tandem to create a mega brand launch.
Stars Jenny McCarthy, Kelly Osbourne and Carmen Electra lit up the opening, giving the brand a glossy lift like it had never seen before.
The coverage was spectacular, with celebrities posing with BION performers prompting headlines in media like “Ripley’s is Cool” and “Beauties and the Beasts”, which was exactly my objective in the first place.
In order to fully compliment the brand revitalization strategy I had put in play 12 months before, Ripley’s had to have some cool factor, and this was definitely a giant step in the right direction.
Ripley’s Piccadilly Circus Grand Opening
An amazing Grand Opening I produced for our latest and greatest Ripley’s Believe It or Not! location in London. The event was spectacular, with international paparazzi and worldwide stars showing up in great numbers to walk the Ripley’s Red Hot Burning Coals carpet, doing interviews, and posing for pictures.
As well, a huge list of BION performers and freaks showed up to mingle and pose with superstars Kelly Rowland, Jennifer Ellison, and Katie Price (pictured here with a throng of photographers). Media coverage was extensive, launching the Ripley’s brand in London for the very first time in its 90 year history.
This picture is of Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child and Lizardman on the red carpet, while Lizardman show offs his ability of twisting a corkscrew up his nose and out his throat…a classic moment during the opening.
Ripley’s San Antonio Opening
Invitation design: Todd Day
If you were invited to the Grand Re-Opening of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in San Antonio, Texas, this is the invitation I sent you. From a brand perspective, this was another big opportunity to continue the brand-building tactics I started when I began to reinvigorate the brand in 2006.
With everything bigger in Texas, we opened the doors to the all-new Ripley’s San Antonio Odditorium, the largest and most interactive Ripley’s to date. The all-new Odditorium housed the ultimate in the odd and bizarre, including the mortician’s toe tag from Lee Harvey Oswald, a two-trunked elephant, a 512-pound iron meteorite and mummified heads.
To celebrate the grand opening, I produced a show hosting a large collection of “Human Believe It or Nots!” with performers and human anomalies from all walks of life –including the 999 Eyes Freakshow, The Traumatic Stress Discipline Suspension Group, Sideshow Bennie the Human Pincushion, Jalisa the Eye Popper, Larry the Leopard, Katzen the Tiger Lady, Wildthing (a trained buffalo, no seriously!) — and many more.
The coolest part was when the suspension group built a human spinning mobile with giant meat hooks piercing their backs while rocking out onstage to a heavy metal soundtrack. You just couldn’t look away. Man, now that’s some serious branding.
http://www.vimeo.com/3379854Ripley’s Shockingly TRUE Stories TV show
This is a great one. As VP of Marketing & Branding, I needed the Ripley’s brand back on TV. Our company and franchise same store sales had dropped off significantly since the end of our previous TV show, the one hosted by Dean Cain. That show had been in reruns since 2004, and wasn’t helping us anymore. A big part of my reinvigoration strategy for the brand had to include a new TV platform.
But getting on TV is not an easy task. Everybody wants a TV show about their brand, or wants product placement, or location placement, or branded content placement, right?
Trust me, they do.
So, instead of waiting around for a production company or network to come to us with a show idea (as we had done in the past, before I joined the company), I decided to write a TV treatment myself. I had written treatments before, and actually sold one in Hollywood in 2001. My strategy for Ripley’s was, if I could get us back on TV, that it would increase our awareness internationally, and quite simply, same store sales would grow. As well, a new TV show could include wireless and broadband platforms, and would support every part of our business…Marketing, Publicity, Archives, Exhibits, etc., all while driving multiple streams of newfound revenue.
I had a concept, and what I needed now was a production company. But I needed one that could see my vision for the brand, and help me get there. After a few meetings with different folks, I found the perfect partner…Insight Productions in Toronto, Ontario.
The concept was fine-tuned, some very smart and creative people got involved, and when it was done, the treatment was tremendous. We immediately started to get interest from some of the biggest names in TV, and when I made the announcement of the show at MIPCOM 2008 in Cannes, France, the William Morris Agency was at our side. The sizzle reel is above, and the announcement of the show from MIPCOM is below.
Pictured: Insight’s John Brunton (left) and Barbara Bowlby, with me in Cannes.
Insight Productions and Ripley Entertainment Announce Co-Venture Agreement for
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Shockingly TRUE Stories
Cannes, France - October 13, 2008 Leading television developer and producer Insight Production Company Ltd. and one of the world’s foremost entertainment companies Ripley Entertainment Inc., announced today a co-venture agreement for a new series based on one of the world’s iconic brands Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! The one hour series will be shot on location around the world with wireless, text and broadband components integral to the show.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Shockingly TRUE Stories is a white knuckle one-hour weekly “shockumentary” TV series that follows the field agents of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!’s seven international bureaus as they embark upon daring expeditions to obtain incredible artifacts from exotic, far-off lands and the shockingly true stories behind them – discoveries which have to be seen to be truly believed! If a three-armed monkey turns up in Sri Lanka, Ripley’s is there. If the mummified head from a lost ancient tribe that challenges the theory of evolution is unearthed on an Indonesian island, Ripley’s highly-trained team is on the move, cameras rolling, searching for the tale behind the treasure. It’s a race against time to retrieve the priceless discovery before it gets away and is lost forever.
“That passion for discovery, that same wonder of the world’s oddities that drove Robert Ripley across 200 countries over 70 years ago, will once again be experienced as our modern day explorers comb the globe for the marvels of our time and share the extraordinary stories behind them,” said John Brunton, President and CEO, Insight Production Company Ltd.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to team with Ripley Entertainment to create a series that embodies the amazement at the very core of Ripley’s globally-known brand,” added Barbara Bowlby, co-executive producer and EVP Insight Production Company Ltd.
What began almost a century ago as Robert Ripley’s personal quest to unearth the incredible - but proven - marvels of the world, has grown to become Ripley Entertainment Inc., a global leader in location-based entertainment, including 68 attractions operating in 12 countries with over 13 million visitors annually. New flagship ”odditoriums” have recently opened in New York’s Times Square, Bangalore, India, and London’s Piccadilly Circus. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! cartoon still runs daily in 200 newspapers in 42 countries.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Shockingly TRUE Stories was developed by Insight Productions together with Ripley Entertainment from a concept created by Steve Glum, Ripley’s VP of Marketing. Produced by Insight Productions, Executive Producers are Insight’s John Brunton and Barbara Bowlby, and Ripley’s Steve Glum. The William Morris Agency is representing the series in the U.S.
“I wanted the unique Ripley’s Believe It or Not! brand to be realized on screen in a fresh and modern way, with television, wireless and broadband content delivery built in,” said Steve Glum. “When I met John Brunton and his team, I knew instantly Insight was the right partner. With their tremendous experience and great passion for storytelling, Insight is the perfect collaborator on a series that will turn heads.”
“We are very excited to be repping Insight Productions and Ripley Entertainment on this amazing new project,” said Mark Itkin Executive VP/Worldwide Co-Head of Television, The William Morris Agency. “They have taken an iconic brand and created a unique and fresh format that will sell all over the world. It is very compelling television.”
Insight Production Company Ltd, headed by John Brunton & Barbara Bowlby, is a recognized industry leader in the creative development, financing and production of highly rated television programs in every genre. Insight has created thousands of hours of groundbreaking television that continues to be broadcast over major networks worldwide and its reputation for quality has been recognized with numerous international awards. Recent hits include Canadian Idol, Canada’s homegrown version of the hugely successful international format, now in its sixth season; Are You Smarter Than a Canadian 5th Grader? an exciting game show that takes adults back to the ‘classroom’; Project Runway Canada, hosted by International Supermodel Iman and Deal or No Deal Canada, the hit primetime game show, starring Howie Mandel, which delivered to Global Television Network its highest ratings of all time for a Canadian program. (www.insighttv.com)
Ripley Entertainment Inc., keeper of the venerable Ripley’s Believe It or Not! brand, is a global leader in location-based entertainment and is considered the worldwide authority on the weird, strange and bizarre. In addition to its 68 attractions, including 32 Believe It or Not! museums, the Orlando, Florida-based company has publishing, licensing and broadcast divisions that oversee projects including the globally syndicated Believe It or Not! television show, best-selling books and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, that runs daily in 42 countries. Ripley Entertainment is a Jim Pattison Company, the third-largest privately held company in Canada. (www.ripleys.com)
Ripley’s & WWE
This is a brand cross-promotion I initiated for Ripley’s with WWE to accomplish three brand objectives: Engagement, Relevance, and Credibility. It also created an opportunity for both brands that had never been attempted before — recreating the superstars of wrestling as full-size wax figures. I brought in WWE Superstars “The Undertaker” and “John Cena”, and put them through the paces of full body life-casting and precision measurement-taking (that is, making molds of them from head to toe in silicone). The process will eventually lead to the creation of the stars and the unveiling of a traveling exhibit that replicates them exactly.
Look close. That’s The Undertaker taking his headcast off. Very cool.
Ripley’s Urban Rail Park
This is a brand extension I initiated in Toronto, Ontario in Winter 2008, as a test to get teens and tweens interacting with the Ripley’s brand in the action sports category. It ran for 16 weeks. It was the largest urban rail park of its kind in Ontario, and included an indoor skateboard park, and an outdoor, 300 ft vertical snowboard down ramp, with three different rail setups. It was quite spectacular and gave boarders some of the most incredible boarding vistas anywhere. It was located at Polson Pier in downtown Toronto, next to Lake Ontario.
From an online and viral perspective, it was the first time the Ripley’s brand fully engaged a younger audience on their own terms, with the overlays of social networking opportunities and viral marketing. I interacted with my audience almost exclusively through Facebook, adding over 2,000 friends to our page in just two weeks. I updated the schedules, events, activities, comments, photos, and videos that we shot daily, and had thousands of user-created photos and videos uploaded over the course of the winter by our core users. I also initiated a grass-roots marketing campaign that dealt directly with skateboard and snowboard shops, publications, skate teams, ski hills, and board manufacturers, with a media outreach strategy that had the park covered by every major TV News station and newspaper in the greater Toronto area on opening day.
It was very cool and spot-on from a branding perspective. To have all these hard-core teen & tween skaters and boarders interacting with the brand was tremendous. It had never happened before. I had grafitti artists tagging the skateboard parks’ walls bowls with their artwork, encouraged by me to take the Ripley logo and do whatever they wanted with it from an artist’s perspective…boarders grinding our rails…and everybody blogging about their experience at the Ripley’s Urban Rail Park, posting their own photos of their jumps, and making their own music videos and posting them. It was fantastic, a completely user-generated community interacting with the brand on their own terms, twisting it up however they wanted. Completely fresh & friendly. Marketing done like dinner.
This pic is a skateboard ramp sticker that had been jumped and grinded on for weeks and weeks. A pretty cool visual testament to the popularity of the park. I like this pic…it’s branding at (hard) work.
Another cool pic from the snow ramp side of the park. Rails right next to Lake Ontario. Nobody ever got an urban rail park vista like this one.
This pic shows the three upper rails, with the lake in the background.
Money shot here. A boarder riding with the City of Toronto in the back.
Skate stickers on the ramps, created by grafitti artists…cool branding tweaks.