Straight Outta Compton

Question 1

What’s the product context?

Answer 1

• Produced by Legendary Pictures, distributed by Universal Pictures and directed by F.Gary Gray
• Follows the story of hip hop band N.W.A in 1980s America.

Question 2

What’s the historical context?

Answer 2

• Racial tension and 1992 riots and glorification of N.W.A as agents of social change.

Question 3

What’s the cultural context?

Answer 3

• N.W.A advocates free speech, protest songs that are highly successful black men from disenfranchised American urban communities.
• They were critiqued for their misogynist lyrics and promotion to a lifestyle that objectified and marginalised women.

Question 4

What are the types of viral marketing?

Answer 4

• Beats by Dre launched an app that allowed users to upload their own photographs to the StraightOuttaSomewhere.com website completing the Straight Outta logo.
• Over 6 million downloads, a major commercial success.

Question 5

Why was the releasing on SOC significant?

Answer 5

• The schedule release was for August 2015 but the first trailer released was in February 2015.
• There was a red band card to reflect the restricted content including an introduction by Ice Cube and Dr.Dre
• The Global trailer was released in April before the screening of Universals’ Furious 7 film. SOC benefitted from the trailer before an arguably more ‘mainstream’ film.

Question 6

What’s the significance of economic factors?

Answer 6

• The trailer is a clear profit maker as elements such as swearing and violence have either been omitted or toned down to offer a broad appeal and ensure the trailer will reach audiences.
• Synergy as both the soundtrack for the film features music by NWA and a Dr. Dre album inspired by the film. There was commercial success of these albums e.g. the soundtrack and the US Billboard 200 album chart number two prior to the film release.

Question 7

How are economic factors impacted by audience?

Answer 7

• Presold hip-hop fan base of the band NWA the appeal of real life story.
• The music itself might serve to offset economic risk of the film production.
• Success of other hip-hop films guarantee and audience as well.

Question 8

What’s the integration?

Answer 8

• Universal is owned by NBC Universal, a Comcast company.

- It was produced and distributed by a major vertically integrated film studio that is a part of a media conglomerate.

Question 9

What else is Universal and Legendary known for?

Answer 9

• Films such as Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Pacific Rim, Godzilla and Jurassic World.