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Death of an IP: Case study of "Jem and the Holograms"

In light of the spectacular box office failure of "Jem and the Holograms," I think it's worth looking into what factors make a strong IP (Intellectual Property) and what factors make a weak one. I suggest using units of measurement including popularity (this can be measured through sales, views, audience engagement, etc.), critical reception, audience penetration (how widespread the IP was, can be determined by looking at the marketing campaign, for example), and nostalgic value (how relevant is the IP years after its air date?), as well as any other factors you come up with. Tie it all back to the failure of "Jem and the Holograms." We all know it was a weak IP that probably will never recover from that failure at the box office, but I want you to do a bit of research to find out why that is. You can also apply this research to other franchises if you like (for instance, talk about why an IP is strong), but the core of this paper is finding those units of measurements and defining them for subsequent researchers.

  • I don't think Jem is an example of a bad IP. If done right, it could have been a cooky and corny but awesomely fun ride. The TV show was a totally crazed out 1980s fantasy show about a rich girl gone high-tech rock band super star, with a super computer, a tricked out vehicle, and everything. The live-action movie, took all of those things, and reduced it down to semi-realistic elements that in the end result in a half-assed and completely lame film, that from what I've heard, has some of the worst editing, worst transitions (they literally used Google Earth footage), worst use of Youtube videos for filler, and all around had a story basically on-par with the "Josie and the Pussycats" film. If done by the same guy who made "Kung Fury," working along side someone like Luc Besson, I think it could have been the coolest thing this side of "Steven Universe." But as it stands, it's one of the biggest and worst filmmaker failures since "Dragonball: Evolution." – Jonathan Leiter 9 years ago
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  • I personally can say that I was obsessed with the show as a kid. I got my ears pierced with star earings because of this show. But maybe I'm old and no longer part of a target audience. Or maybe this didn't translate well from cartoon. Or yeah...maybe the execution was just terrible. – Tatijana 9 years ago
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  • Jem and the Holograms is particularly ripe for commentary on the subject, given it has been at the center of an IP controversy since its inception. – Eric 9 years ago
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