OPW - Jan 7 - Irena and I saw The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, complete with eHarmony product segments. It seems the movie had a not so secret wife in eHarmony.
Overall, its very solid exposure for eHarmony. One wonders just how much control they had over the scripting process. eHarmony is indeed thoroughly laced into the movie. From the opening scene, the interstitials of an eHarmony rep/matchmaker calling Walter, and a somewhat awkward segment towards the end of the movie where Walter actually meets the rep in person. Great exposure, but…
There’s definitely some artistic license in the portrayal of eHarmony services. A rep calling out? Really? The rep was very casual and gave fairly basic feedback, and disclosed info about other members incoming winks. The movie got 50% on Rotten Tomatoes from reviewers but scored 79% from users. It was a fun ride, and it was good to see eHarmony get this much-needed exposure.
I guess I’m most intrigued with their choice of character in the rep. It was a really uncomfortable segment when the rep met Walter in person. This really felt contrived, un-entertaining, and not a particularly good portrayal of eHarmony. The character just seemed hokey and daft, and not really a good reflection of the industry. On the other hand, the reality of the new matchmaking services that eHarmony will offer will surely over-deliver on this casual and homey depiction of their services.
Next, I wonder how Corbin Bernsen will write Christian Mingle into his new movie…named “Christian Mingle”, no less!? We’ll review it as soon as we can get a copy. – Mark Brooks
