# Did TGI Friday's Pay The Entire Production Cost of "Zookeeper"?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 13, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276 "2011-06-13T02:06:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/1 "2011-06-13T02:06:16Z")
I ask because I’ve never seen a more unbelievably blatant product placement in a movie. In the upcoming comedy shitpile “Zookeeper,” Kevin Something, the guy from “King of Queens,” plays a zookeeper who has the animals talk to him.
The movie looks incredibly horrible, but what’s fascination about it is how prominently TGI Friday’s is in the commercial. Fully 25 to 30 percent of the 30-second commercial is devoted to the gag of the zoo’s gorilla really wanting to go to TGI Friday’s. The gorilla - **remember, this is all in the 30-second TV spot** - asks Kevin Whatshisname something to the effect of “is TGI Friday’s as unbelievably awesome as I’ve heard” and Kevin LAstname says “oh, yeah, big time” and Kevin Whatever later takes the gorilla (dressed as a human) to TGI Friday’s.
TGI Friday’s has paid for product placement before - they’re rather blatantly paying for mention in “Click” - but in this case they obviously paid a HELL of a lot of money to get into the trailer. I’m sure TGI Friday’s serves a generic meal as well as most mid-priced chains, but I can’t believe that it is such a beloved trade name in American popular culture that the moviemakers would think that such extensive use of the name in the trailer was to their marketing advantage. In the ad, TGI Friday’s quite literally is more prominent than any of the human supporting actors. So obvoiusly, TGI Friday’s not only paid a shit-ton of cadsh for the placement, but paid extra specifically to have the trailers structured around their part in the movie.
Who the hell likes TGI Friday’s this much?
---
### Author:  [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2011, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/2 "2011-06-13T04:10:44Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> Who the hell likes TGI Friday’s this much?
Their Cheesy Bacon Cheeseburger _is_ delicious.
---
### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2011, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/3 "2011-06-13T13:37:45Z")
Much as I like to see movies about Boston, few of them are filmed here, and for some reason, they get Boston zoos wrong. **Altered States** , which was obviously not filmed in Boston, features a rhinoceros and an antelope herd in the Zoo. Right. This new **Zookeeper** shows an Elephant and other animals that aren’t actually in the Boston zoo. I’m curious to se tye film just to see how far it diverges from reality.
as for the Friday’s, I wouldn’t be surprised if they did essentially pay for a feature-length ad. MacDonald’s did this with an ET clone called **Mac and Me** back in the late 80s. It was obviously a MacDonald’s ad from the get-go, and flopped. And never shows up even on late-night cable.
---
### Author:  [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/4 "2011-06-13T13:56:13Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> The gorilla - **remember, this is all in the 30-second TV spot** - asks Kevin Whatshisname something to the effect of “is TGI Friday’s as unbelievably awesome as I’ve heard”
“Do you enjoy eating grubs and the lice you’ve picked from your mate’s hair?”
---
### Author:  [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/5 "2011-06-13T15:13:44Z")
I heard they’re behind Rebecca Black’s song, too!
But seriously, are you sure it wasn’t a joint TGIF-Zookeeper ad? Sometimes they combine ads for free publicity. “Eat at Fridays and enjoy the Zookeeper coming to theaters this summer!” I’ve seen these type of ads a lot.
---
### Author:  [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/6 "2011-06-13T15:36:54Z")
> [@Erdosain](#):
>
> I heard they’re behind Rebecca Black’s song, too!
>
> But seriously, are you sure it wasn’t a joint TGIF-Zookeeper ad? Sometimes they combine ads for free publicity. “Eat at Fridays and enjoy the Zookeeper coming to theaters this summer!” I’ve seen these type of ads a lot.
Nope, I’ve seen the trailer he’s talking about. It’s not a joint ad. From what I’ve seen, there’s lots of different tv trailers for this movie, but the one consistent thing is that the TGI Friday’s scene is in ALL of them.
---
### Author:  [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/7 "2011-06-13T16:23:16Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> Who the hell likes TGI Friday’s this much?
Me. That’s who. I LOVE Fridays and eat there whenever there is one in town (My town doesn’t have one)
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#):
>
> Their Cheesy Bacon Cheeseburger _is_ delicious.
Sizzlin Chicken and Cheese. The single best entree in any non-high end (Ruth’s Chris, Fleming’s etc.) sit-down restaurant.
---
### Author:  [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/8 "2011-06-13T16:52:36Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> I ask because I’ve never seen a more unbelievably blatant product placement in a movie. In the upcoming comedy shitpile “Zookeeper,” Kevin Something, the guy from “King of Queens,” plays a zookeeper who has the animals talk to him.
Holy shit. When they referred to this in the most recent _South Park_, I assumed it was a joke, _à la_ “Rob Schneider is… _THE STAPLER_!” I had no idea it was a real movie.
---
### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/9 "2011-06-13T17:12:36Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#):
>
> Holy shit. When they referred to this in the most recent _South Park_, I assumed it was a joke, _à la_ “Rob Schneider is… _THE STAPLER_!” I had no idea it was a real movie.
I watched a trailer last night. It’s about as bad as _The Stapler_, and even for Kevin James it’s a new low. It’s mindless, edgeless silly romcom Doolittle-wannabe pap, to say nothing of the blatant TGI Fridays plugs.
And dammit if I didn’t still chuckle at some of the bits in the trailer.
---
### Author:  [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/10 "2011-06-13T17:29:00Z")
Odd. My impression from the ads was "low budget "Night at the Museum,’ only at a zoo.
---
### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/11 "2011-06-13T17:33:30Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#):
>
> Odd. My impression from the ads was "low budget "Night at the Museum,’ only at a zoo.
Or _Dr Doolittle_ **very** badly redone.
---
### Author:  [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/12 "2011-06-13T17:56:16Z")
I was thinking Dr Doolittle meets Night at the Museum meets Paul Blart Mall Cop.
---
### Author:  [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/13 "2011-06-13T19:22:25Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#):
>
> I was thinking Dr Doolittle meets Night at the Museum meets Paul Blart Mall Cop.
Eating at TGI Friday’s
---
### Author:  [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/14 "2011-06-13T20:01:41Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#):
>
> I was thinking Dr Doolittle meets Night at the Museum meets Paul Blart Mall Cop.
Ah, so an Oscar contender then.
---
### Author:  [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/15 "2011-06-13T21:47:58Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#):
>
> Odd. My impression from the ads was "low budget "Night at the Museum,’ only at a zoo.
Heh, I’ve been calling it “Night at the Museum 3: Night at the Zoo.”
---
### Author:  [@aquaman3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aquaman3)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2011, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/16 "2011-07-10T05:47:53Z")
I bet Coke also paid serious $$ for the RedBull can to choke and nearly kill the lioness!
---
### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2011, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/17 "2011-07-10T06:34:33Z")
> [@aquaman3](#):
>
> I bet Coke also paid serious $$ for the RedBull can to choke and nearly kill the lioness!
Probably not. Red Bull is owned by the Red Bull GmbH in Austria and is not made or marketed by the Coca-Cola Ccompany.
---
### Author:  [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2011, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/18 "2011-07-10T06:48:31Z")
> [@cochrane](#):
>
> Probably not. Red Bull is owned by the Red Bull GmbH in Austria and is not made or marketed by the Coca-Cola Ccompany.
You’ve been whooshed. The point is that having the animal nearly choke on Red Bull makes the product look bad. Therefore, it might be that a competitor, which, in this case is Coca-Cola, paid for that to happen.
---
### Author:  [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2011, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/19 "2011-07-10T06:51:42Z")
> [@cochrane](#):
>
> Probably not. Red Bull is owned by the Red Bull GmbH in Austria and is not made or marketed by the Coca-Cola Ccompany.
I think his point was that coke should pay for what is in effect an attack ad against red bull.
---
### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2011, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276/20 "2011-07-10T06:57:58Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#):
>
> Holy shit. When they referred to this in the most recent _South Park_, I assumed it was a joke, _à la_ “Rob Schneider is… _THE STAPLER_!” I had no idea it was a real movie.
I had the same reaction when I found out Jim Carrey had actually made a movie with penguins.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-tgi-fridays-pay-the-entire-production-cost-of-zookeeper/585276.md?page=2)