How to promote a (very crappy) movie (that has Dane Cook and Jessica Simpson in it): 1. Make a trailer that contains every single joke that's in the actual movie.
This includes even the jokes that don't work. This way, people will think, "Wow. This trailer really isn't funny. Why would they put out something so awful to promote a comedy? This has to be intentional. They must be saving all the good jokes for the movie, or something. I must investigate further by paying to see this movie!"
Of course, there's also a very real chance that people will think, "Oh, God. This is the worst thing I've ever seen. This movie must be the least funny comedy in history. No one should see this." But that's the risk you take when your movie's big joke is that Jessica Simpson has freakishly large ears. 2. You can never emphasize the credits of your producers enough.
Most people think that it's the stars, or the directors, or even the screenwriters that get people to see movies. But they're wrong. Truly, nothing gets people into theaters more than hearing who produced a certain film, and what those producers produced before.
I mean, the producers of Wedding Crashers could have produced any other low-grade comedy sure to hit all the same notes as Crashers but not as well after that movie, but they chose this. That really says something, right? 3. Stage a contest with a really awesome prize.
The kids these days are all about making videos and sharing them. But do you know how hard it is to actually get a video up on YouTube? This contest makes that happen, while at the same time promoting Employee Of The Month! Two birds, one stone. 4. When all else fails, just say Dane Cook is hard.
(Thanks to
BestWeekEver.tv for the screencaps.)
Grasping at sexual straws might come off as desperate, but maybe you can disgust a few people into seeing the movie.