Yesterday’s Google hits for the phrase Snakes on a Plane exceeded 67 million, but fell below 61 million today.
   This may mean another strong weekend for the film nonetheless, as the chatter reached its highest point on Thursday—enough to encourage those curious about Snakes to go along to the cinema in the US. It also opened in New Zealand today, but there has been far less excitement here. Imagine how bad it would have been had Snakes stuck to its original release dates for Australia and New Zealand of October–November.
   But with declining Google hits, the craze may finally be dying down (New Line may be worried about DVD sales, as the film hasn’t been that good). The pre-première buzz on the internet—and specifically the blogosphere—was unprecedented, and Snakes on a Plane was one of those odd blips in 2006 that illustrated that enough people could come together to back something, sight unseen. That human spirit of being a part of something remained, even if it was for something daft. It certainly did not look like it was going to be the war in Iraq.
   We do live in a postmodern age for marketing. I wrote in one of my first posts on the subject that Snakes on a Plane was compelling primarily for its honesty, its unadorned title. People understood it, and in an age of complex communications, simplicity and an understandable premise are compelling. I believe it showed that people would be willing to get on board for the frankness alone—and not for any other reason. It supports those many writings that I have done where transparency is the key to great marketing and branding. Snakes on a Plane promised no more and no less than that. No one ever said it would be a great film, and it has delivered on its title.
   Mission accomplished. Let the next craze begin. But I guarantee it will be another simple premise—the sort of behaviour that led so many of us to buy ‘We Are the World’ records 20 years ago. Posted by Jack Yan, 07:39  permalink

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