While Mary Carey received more than her fifteen minutes of fame by entertaining the media during this year’s gubernatorial campaign, Kick Ass Pictures owner Mark Kulkis, who orchestrated the media madness that surrounded the campaign was never really acknowledged.
That just changed when the current issue of Brand Week, a marketing trade magazine, noted his efforts - highlighting the Carey campaign in their annual “Guerilla Marketers of the Year” feature.
“This is huge,” Kulkis said. “Brand Week is considered the bible by everyone who works in marketing in any capacity: advertising, PR, promotion, you name it. It’s pretty cool that everyone on Madison Avenue is reading about me this week.”
Although the magazine does not formally rank the marketers, Kick Ass Pictures’ Mary Carey campaign is highlighted as the foremost example of guerilla marketing during the past year. The campaign made the cover and was utilized as the lead for the feature.
In the case-study article describing the campaign, Brand Week notes that: “Under the guise of political speech, Kulkis burst through promo doors that normally lock out porn.”
Taking advantage of both the free speech protections afforded political candidates and the media frenzy generated by Carey, Kulkis – who worked in mainstream PR before beginning his career in adult – arranged too many press ops for Carey to mention, but highlights included an op-ed piece in the Los Angeles Times and an ad for Carey on mainstream TV – that was then given to a number of television shows that aired the Carey commercial for free.
And yes, the campaign did result in sales for Kick Ass Pictures – and not just for titles with Mary Carey. “There were definitely cash receipts but the campaign also opened up new accounts. Distributors that hadn’t been dealing with me before had to have Mary Carey titles and that extended to Kick Ass Pictures and those relationships continue today.”
The media attention given to Carey continues today as well. This week she’ll appear on the Howard Stern radio show to promote Can You Be a Porn Star? and the media still is writing stories about her campaign.
The campaign is the subject of an extensive, six-page cover story in the December issue of Los Angeles magazine that just hit newsstands. It was written by reporter Amy Wallace, who shadowed Carey in San Francisco and several other campaign stops.
“The publicity from the campaign just keeps coming and coming,” Kulkis noted. “The A&E network just called us last week. They want us to participate in a two-hour docudrama they’re doing on the election called See Arnold Run.”
In January, Kick Ass Pictures is releasing its own “docu-porno” on the race, entitled Run Mary Run. Ron Jeremy plays “Spooge Cruztamante” and Lee Stone plays “Ernie Gropenegger.”
Brand Week wasn’t the only magazine to notice the campaign. Kick Ass is also nominated for “Best Marketing Campaign, Individual Project” for the 2004 AVN Awards.
Distributors can order Kick Ass products, which are marketed incredibly well, by calling toll-free: 800-765-1220.
