When Hollywood controls your image...

This is an interesting spot I just saw on CNN:



The U.S. Military is in a tough spot vis-a-vis Hollywood, and the depiction of the military in film. Apparently, in the early days, any film using a military subject in the U.S. used to seek help (and therefore, approval) from the Pentagon to be able to use army bases, aircraft carriers, and large weaponry, etc. that they needed as locations or props in films.

Now, according to CNN, neither Hurt Locker or Avatar, (both with military themes) consulted the Pentagon in the making of their films (Hurt Locker used Jordanian government props and locations) and the Pentagon isn't happy about it. How do you do "reputation management" when the most popular film of the year is trashing your industry?

While the CNN piece doesn't go into the PR implications, it is interesting to consider the impact of such films on the industries they are representing (the military, in this case). Film depictions of "reality" can definitely create "crisis" for an organization or an entire industry (see Erin Brockovich), when they expose or create the "dark side" of an industry. This is the great power of film. It can also be a headache for the PR execs who have to manage reputations!