A Web-based
guerrilla marketing group known as the Ultimate Brokeback
Forum has started an ambitious campaign to place the
Brokeback Mountain DVD in 2,000 libraries
throughout rural America and in gay-repressive countries
like the Bahamas. The forum's campaign, titled
"2,000 DVDs to Libraries," has already
received commitments of acceptance from 200 libraries in 12
states and Canada. A dozen libraries have rejected the film,
however, citing policy restrictions.
The unofficial
Brokeback-boosters group, which has raised over
$30,000 in three months, made headlines in March when
it purchased a $24,000 full-page ad in Daily Variety
thanking the writers, producers, and cast of
Brokeback for making the film after it
lost the coveted Best Picture Oscar to Crash.
"The ad
campaign ignited a wealth of enthusiasm to make a
difference," said forum organizer Dave Cullen.
"It has been an incredible outpouring of
Internet activism, and it is all due to Brokeback
Mountain."
Next on the
forum's agenda: phase 2 of its advertising campaign. Banner
ads proclaiming Brokeback as the consensus
choice for Best Picture will hit at least eight Web sites
next month and feature links to the group's site, www.davecullen.com/brokebackmountain.
(The Advocate)