In March, Sony released the DVD version of the Osca-nominated English version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” While DVD artwork can be basic and bland, Sony took advantage of a non-traditional character (and recognizable in-house artwork) and designed the disc art to reflect the nature of the film. It wasn’t just a creative move, but it created a buzz of its own in what has proved to be a great marketing move.

Using artwork similar to its Sony DVD recordable product, the design team at Sony Pictures Entertainment created disc art that maximized brand exposure while maintaining a design directive to encapsulate the essence of the movie’s lead character, Lisbeth Salander, a skilled computer hacker. Using a font similar to handwriting, the authentic disc looks as if someone placed a pirated disc in the sleeve. As consumers and renters started to receive copies, complaints rolled into Amazon, Redbox and other sources, with concerned citizens thinking they had been duped! Calls became so numerous that DVD distributors placed disclaimers on their site, authenticating the design as an original disc.

While the original release does look like a pirated design at a glance, close inspection (and comparison) show that this is not a copy. The media is abuzz with this, debating on whether this design is ingenious or inept. My instant reaction when I heard the news was that it was a brilliant marketing ploy. People will now want to rent or buy the movie (in an age where digital download is increasingly popular), just to see if they are smart enough to see the difference. Additionally, they bring  the discussion of movie piracy to to light for a greater audience (which is more likely to be the culprit) and turns it back onto them. Simultaneously, Sony gets to test the market in terms of brand recognition and gain priceless media coverage!