‘We should never have known’: PR experts react to disastrous It Ends With Us press tour
The press tour for Sony Pictures' romantic drama, It Ends With Us, has set the internet on fire with speculation of clashing castmates (particularly between its leading stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni) and tone-deaf promotional conduct. It's PR chaos - so we asked the experts what went wrong and what needs to be done to fix it.
Pop culture’s latest war of opinions has set its sights on the live-action film adaption of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 magnum opus, It Ends With Us – a multi-million best-selling tale of a woman who finds herself in an abusive relationship, starring actress Blake Lively and Jane The Virgin star, Justin Baldoni, who doubles as the film’s director.
But from rumours that the cast wants nothing to do with Baldoni (both on the red carpet and on social media) to condemnation of Lively’s tendency to promote her fashion and businesses before the film’s message, the media and public seem to be talking about everything but the film.
Credit: Sony Pictures
It’s a public relations disaster. So, we asked the experts where did the press tour go wrong, and what can the parties involved do to fix things.
Sally Branson – managing director, The Sally Branson Consulting Group (SBCG)
Sally Branson
From a PR perspective, where did the press tour go wrong?
From an outside perspective it seems that the ambitions of the principals are simply not aligned. They seemed (and rumour suggests) they had entirely different approaches to the end outcome of making the movie and then the publicity around the movie.
In addition to these creative differences – a key consideration is the topic of the movie, domestic violence. It is a fraught platform to stand upon – is your aim in this movie to raise education around the experiences and complexity of violence in the home or is it to make a tonne of money from a wildfire bestseller? Is it a bit of both? It is such a topic that requires mature nuanced execution and what may work for a business as usual film PR, won’t work for a topic that is so hard for us to speak about in the mainstream but that will effect at least one in four Australians.
It’s a reminder that when you begin the PR pathway – it’s important to always ask “to what end” and to assess the nuance an individual program needs. Romcom PR won’t work (it’s been suggested BL tried to Barbiefy the PR but why that was such a success what that it was an iconic character empowered in a modern context, not an every woman who was a victim of intimate violence. You simply can’t floral that conversation and to suggest that by juxtaposing the floral beauty with the hard reality of intimate violence lacks sophistication).
What can the parties involved do to resolve the issue?
I have heard wonder if this “rift” is a deliberate publicity stunt in itself or if it would be untrue to the storyline to have the main characters doing cosy PR together – I don’t think this is the case, if so it’s a technique that has backfired.
There are two real options now – for the parties to come together and present a united front, to address the issues head on and try to restart and reset. It won’t be the first movie PR to have characters hate being side by side, but snuggling up on the PR path.
For me though, there is something to be said for taking a step back, and looking at the long term reputation damage that can be done by engaging in pr war. With more than $100 million in box office takings – I would be offering counsel that suggests a full and lengthy reputation game. Sometimes it’s the best move to stop sending out the “sources close to” and reign in any power play in an issue like this. And to ask again “to what end”? Then get on and quietly do great work and prove the critics and gossip columnists alike wrong. It’s a case of doing the work.
Patrice Pandeleos – founder and managing director, Seven Communications
Patrice Pandeleos
From a PR perspective, where did the press tour go wrong?
I think that those involved with the It Ends with Us press tour forgot two of the golden rules when it comes to creating and building the right external image.
‘Don’t air your dirty laundry’ – The internal issues experienced with the making of the film, should have been kept as just that, internal. The film’s main protagonists will always need to showcase a public display of unity at the very least – anything else leads to questions, which has happened in this case. There should never be a point where this type of gossip is being leaked from a movie set. Once the general public and the media detect a slight crack in relations, they will do their best to widen it to a chasm.
Key message alignment – You have to ensure that everyone follows the same key messaging. On this occasion, spokespeople should have been prepared on how to respond to some of the film’s key themes, such as domestic violence. The wildly different approach, from the co-stars in question, further displays a team that isn’t pulling in the same direction and isn’t aligned on its views.
Preparation will always be the key to success – The entire team should have been briefed accordingly. From rules of engagement with media to the potentially trickier questions to how to conduct yourselves in public and on social media platforms – everyone involved should have been clear on the role required of them.
What can the parties involved do to resolve the issue?
In this situation it’s tough to rectify the damage that has been done. Any big public display would look too calculated and disingenuous to shift public opinion and would only make things worse at this point. We are after all a very cynical and sceptical bunch.
For me, it would be a case of damage limitation – brief all parties to talk respectfully regarding each other and focus on praising their talents and the final product as opposed to trying to convince the public that they are the best of friends. The film itself is performing well at the box office so all parties need to focus on the outcome for now and take away learnings from this experience, which has been far from ideal for anyone involved.
Phoebe Netto – managing director, Pure Public Relations
Phoebe Netto
From a PR perspective, where did the press tour go wrong?
The first big issue is the fallout between the film’s leads, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. They aren’t attending events together, are doing separate interviews, and Blake has unfollowed Justin on Instagram – all clear signs that something is wrong. Normally, you’d expect the leading cast to present a united front, but here it was the opposite.
Justin Baldoni then hired the crisis comms person from the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard mess, but we should never have known he had. Knowing that you have hired a celebrity crisis comms person screams ‘there’s a crisis over here’, and makes everyone look for problems that you are clearly trying to correct. Instead of controlling the narrative, it made things worse, until the crisis comms expert got to work and Blake suspiciously started getting negative press, and it snowballed for her from there.
Another huge issue is how Blake Lively handled the topic of domestic violence during the press tour. For the record, she had some moments where she did address the issue appropriately, but they got drowned out by the times she was too casual and even sarcastic, which felt very jarring considering the serious subject matter of domestic violence. This inconsistency made her look like she wasn’t taking it seriously enough, and has hurt her personal brand – proving that a positive reputation takes years to build and seconds to undo.
Blake relied on her status, likeability and previously wholesome image to carry her through this press tour, and that is enough when the film you are attached to matches this image. However, when the film is more substantive and has serious themes, you need to bring more to the table than laidback laughs and fashion. And when her co-star, Justin, started speaking about domestic violence in a heartfelt way, it contrasted with Blake’s jovial comments, adding fuel to the fire.
She would have done well to look at how Andie McDowell handled the press for her role in Maid, to see how you can still be yourself, participate in interviews that cover multiple topics, but be considered, informed, and helpful when discussing the subject matter of the film: intimate partner violence.
Lastly, the timing of Blake Lively promoting her hair care line was the incendiary straw that broke the camel’s back. When you’re in the middle of promoting a serious film, throwing in a product launch is confusing and makes it all look like one big improvident self-promotion mess. It didn’t help her credibility, especially when this was supposed to be her big moment as one of the film’s producers.
What can the parties involved do to resolve the issue?
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni need to get back on the same page, use their acting skills to appear together, and show some unity – and fast. This would help squash the rumours, remove the focus from individuals, and get people focusing on the movie again – which is the ultimate purpose of a movie press tour.
Blake needs to keep talking seriously about domestic violence. Drop the lighthearted comments and focus on the film’s message. No more of her “Grab your friends, wear your florals and head out to see it!” promotions that have turned this into a quagmire.
She doesn’t have to be all serious all the time, but she does need to consistently handle the topic with care and not deflect from it.
Justin, now that he’s started talking seriously about domestic violence, needs to stick with it. He can’t just flip the switch and move on to something else or start being the funny guy again or it could come off as fake. The movie deals with heavy themes, and he’s got to stay on message.
They should both use their social media more strategically. Amplify the serious discussions about the film, share resources, and maybe even bring in experts on domestic violence for interviews or discussions. It would add credibility and show that they’re committed to the cause.
If Blake wants to recover her image, she might need to get some of her famous friends to talk her up. It’s one of those old celebrity tricks, but it could help. Still, she’s got a very short window to turn this around before she has to confront the issue directly, and that’s only going to make things messier before they get better.
The situation isn’t a lost cause, but both Blake and Justin need to act fast if they want to salvage their reputations and ensure the movie’s message doesn’t get completely overshadowed by the PR firestorm.
Jessy Marshall – director, Hive HQ
Jessy Marshall
From a PR perspective, where did the press tour go wrong?
Perhaps this is the strategy they planned to take all along. Behind great brand awareness is a publicist team working hard and the show is based on conflict which is what we are seeing play out. We are all talking about it, we are all analysing it and all invested and in turn that is generating buzz, excitement, analysis, and according to Marie Claire – the film has grossed $USD50 million on opening weekend.
In the majority of press tour opportunities, Lively continues to wear florals (which links back to the show) and also promotes grabbing your girls to go to the cinema and watch the show. Whilst Baldoni shows the other side – the serious side, he wants men to think deeper, he wants them to take accountability, he has a deep message he wants viewers to take away from it. Again they are in character here pushing their key messages. BOTH are sharing or driving awareness, one is grab your friends go see the show, the other is watch it and learn from it. Who says a PR hasn’t thought this up and is orchestrating from behind the scenes?
In addition there has been another ‘viral’ effect with people analysing Lively, this has seen individuals on Tiktok analyse old articles and previous comments she has given from years ago this is again all building awareness and interest in the ‘tour’.
What can the parties involved do to resolve the issue?
Lean in, I’m sure all publicists and PR professionals would agree that whenever there is a storm, viral moment or crisis there is no better outcome than leaning in and riding the wave. The more you turn away from it, the more people will speculate, analyse and keep questioning and this is when things can turn negative and deflect from what is important. Face it head on and get the best outcome for the ‘product’ in this case – the movie.
Luke Holland – head of strategic communications, Think HQ
Luke Holland
Where did the press tour go wrong?
The It Ends With Us press tour went wrong long before it ever started – at least, the seeds were planted. Taking personalities out of the equation (don’t worry – we’ll put them back shortly), the film itself is a tricky one to pitch, with a tone that treads a fine line between deft and daft. The movie itself pulls this off magnificently – but the transfer to the red carpet was, in and of itself, much harder. Like the wider marketing offering, the press tour seemed confused as to quite what it was meant to be. The vibe was all over the place.
In Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, the tour had, at its heart, two stars who were also producers, a nightmare for any PR pro or studio exec. With their relationship more combustible than collaborative, and residual dislike from the set clearly not sensibly mediated ahead of time, the whole junket was a timebomb. Lively’s film work now seems geared toward supporting her commercial ventures than the other way around. Her decision to focus on launching a new skincare line and modeling fashion brands clearly clashed with Baldoni’s desire to leverage the coverage to shine a light on domestic abuse – and the support available to those impacted by it.
The marriage of couteur and auteur was always going to be hard to manage, especially juxtaposed against such a challenging and important issue. And so it proved to be.
How can the parties involved resolve the issue?
As any crisis comms or risk mitigation professional knows, to fix a problem you need a client who knows there is a problem that needs fixing. I’m not sure that’s the case here.
For Blake Lively, there’s a straight commercial calculation at play. Has the fallout impacted her brand base, or been a misstep from a dollar value POV? Her millions of Instagram followers love her style, envy her business ventures, and buy into the persona she’s created with husband Ryan Reynolds. Meanwhile, the ‘backlash against the backlash’ has inevitably started, with some – not illegitimate – commentary pointing out that Lively’s name got the film made, and that her approach has drawn in big audiences who might have otherwise swerved the film due to its confronting content. Some don’t see why serious conversations can’t sit alongside life more broadly – and the box office backs that up, at least in part.
Baldoni, meanwhile, seems content – for now – to have the conversations that matter to him, focus on the issues that he cares about, and manage his interviews with admirable tact and deflection. Does he want to pick a fight with the Hollywood power couple? Probably not.
As for the theoretical fixes, none seem efficacious even if they could be made to happen. Hastily convened joint appearances wouldn’t work – the dislike is too real. Course-correction in tone and style would be too obviously disingenuous. What’s more, you can’t “unlaunch” a fragrance range or “unclaim” that your husband wrote key scenes in a movie. This psychodrama will play out for some time yet – perhaps the best approach would be to lean into everyone’s established narratives, and allow the audience to pick the one they feel most comfortable with.
For information and support services on domestic violence, go to 1800respect.
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Matthew is the editorial assistant at Mumbrella. He joined the company at the end of September 2023.
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topics
Blake Lively
Hive HQ
It Ends With Us
Jessy Marshall
Justin Baldoni
luke holland
Patrice Pandeleos
Phoebe Netto
Pure Public Relations
Sally Branson
Seven Communications
Sony Pictures
The Sally Branson Consulting Group
Think HQ
Sally , Phobe and Luke was spot on. Agreed.
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