Warrior: The Movie that was a Marines Ad Before it was an Ad for the Marines

Warrior, opening this weekend, may look like a simple mixed-martial arts family drama action movie secretly sponsored by UFC to market its events. Far less obvious is how the film is a marketing tool secretly sponsored by the US military.

Indeed, the Marine Corps vetted the film's script as a condition of cooperation; Warrior features on duty uniformed soldiers as extras as well as a plot about a former Marine Iraq veteran.

The Nick Nolte-starring Warrior is just the latest film to function not only as entertainment, but also as PR. In fact, "Hollywood" is maybe the most successful, long-term viral branding camapign in history.Continue reading...