International Entertainment News: Teens Say Zac Efron Hotter Than Pirate Favorites Depp/Bloom or Transformers' Shia LaBeouf

Teens Say Zac Efron Hotter Than Pirate Favorites Depp/Bloom or Transformers' Shia LaBeouf

New Research From OTX and eCRUSH Examines Teens' Movie-Going Behavior and Preferences

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- OTX (Online Testing eXchange), the leading global consumer research and consulting firm, released new results from its Teen Topix study. The Teen Topix survey taps into the complex lives of the 13-17 year old set and is done in conjunction with eCRUSH, a leading PG-13 social networking site. 750 teens across the country were surveyed about their movie-going behavior and preferences.

Zac Efron of High School Musical fame and this summer's theatrical Hairspray was the name most often mentioned when teens were asked "who is the hottest male movie star of the summer," followed by Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom (both from Pirates), Shia LaBeouf (Transformers), and Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter).

Hottest Male Movie Star of the Hottest Female Movie Star of the
Summer Summer
Zac Efron, Hairspray Jessica Alba, Fantastic Four
Johnny Depp, Pirates Jessica Biel, Chuck and Larry
Orlando Bloom, Pirates Keira Knightly, Pirates
Shia LaBeouf, Transformers Megan Fox, Transformers
Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter Emma Watson, Harry Potter

The survey also found that majority of teens see movies within the first two weeks. 27% say they usually go on opening weekend and an additional 44% go within the first two weeks. And teens find out about the latest movies by traditional means with 61% saying they get information from TV ads and 46% from in-theater trailers. Entertainment websites (15%), social networking sites (15%), video sharing sites (13%), and movie ticket sites (8%), all fall to the bottom of the information hierarchy. Buzz is also a source of information especially among friends and others in school.

When do you usually see movies
Opening Weekend 27%
Within the first two weeks 44%
Some time after the second weekend 20%
I prefer to see movies on video/DVD 8%
I prefer to wait and see movies on TV 1%

Where do you usually get information about movies
TV ads 61%
Trailers/previews in a movie theater 46%
Friends / boyfriend / girlfriend talk about it or tell you
about it 46%
Other kids in school talk about it or tell you about it 41%
Family members talk about it or tell you about it 32%
Internet ads 29%
Magazine ads 25%
Talk/news/entertainment shows (like Access Hollywood or TRL) 23%
Movie or studio websites 18%
Newspaper/magazine articles or reviews 17%
Radio ads 17%
Newspaper ads or listings 16%
Entertainment websites (like imdb.com or rottentomatoes.com) 15%
Social networking websites (like myspace.com or facebook.com) 15%
Outdoor ads or billboards 15%
Radio shows 14%
Video sharing websites (like youtube.com) 13%
Blogs 9%
Ticket selling websites (like fandango.com or
movietickets.com) 8%

Buzz is also key to influencing movie going decisions for this group. 70% of teens say the fact that people are talking about a movie makes them want to see it in the theater. This exceeds the influence of trailers (68%), ads (65%), or reviews (48%).

Which of the following makes you Top 2
want to see a movie in the theater Box
The genre (e.g., Action, Comedy) 77%
The storyline or plot 71%
People are talking about it 70%
The trailer 68%
The stars 67%
The special effects 66%
The advertisements 65%
My friends' opinions 65%
Because it's a sequel 56%
Movie reviews 48%

"This type of information adds another dimension to the research movie studios need about today's teens," said Bruce Friend, President of Media and Entertainment Insights for OTX. "As studios begin to think of their films as brands and brand franchises, information about the teen audience is crucial to targeting, establishing launch plans and making determinations of which films may become the next big franchise."

Another key finding of the study was that teens are viewing movies they missed in theaters in more traditional ways. When teens were asked how they plan to view specific movies they didn't see in the theater, most (69%) said they would rent or buy the DVD, Pay-per-view and TV were also mentioned as options by about 1 in 10, but downloads were in the 1%-5% range depending on title.

"Teens are savvy consumers," said Amy Gibby, President of eCRUSH. "This wave of the Teen Topix study gives movie marketers a sense of the complex decision making process teens go through when deciding which movie to see." Additional data about possible movie sequels and anticipated Fall/Winter films are featured below.

Top 5 Movies Teens Want to see Top 5 Fall/Winter Movies (Intent to
Sequels/Another Sequel for View)
(Top 2 Box)

Pirates of the Caribbean Saw IV
Harry Potter National Treasures: Book of Secrets
Transformers Mama's Boy
Spiderman Fred Claus
Shrek I Am Legend, Alvin and the Chipmunks,
Enchanted (tie)

About OTX (Online Testing eXchange)

OTX (Online Testing eXchange) is a global consumer research and consulting firm that has established itself as a leading provider of online-based research. The company specializes in providing innovative, cutting-edge online technology, products and analysis to the marketing, entertainment and advertising communities. OTX has developed the most innovative products available for online research today -- products that work to uncover deeper and more profound consumer insight. Today, the company is one of the fastest growing research companies in the United States and has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Cincinnati, Miami, Chicago and London, with strategic partners in Japan, Australia, Russia and China.

About eCRUSH

The eCRUSH Network, acquired by Hearst Magazines Digital Media in January 2007, is a group of PG-13 sites related to universal truths of crushing, flirting, and all forms of teen connectivity.

-- eCRUSH(R) is the original "crush" site -- a way for users to find out
anonymously if someone they like feels the same about them, with no
chance of rejection. The site launched on Valentine's Day 1999, and has
matched close to 1MM users.
-- eSPIN(R) is a profile-based site that offers the old junior-high game
with a modern twist. Designed with safety in mind (all youth
submissions are screened to remove any personally identifiable
information and inappropriate content before they can be posted), this
is the premier way for gen-Y to connect, flirt and make new friends
online. Launched in 2001, eSPIN-the-Bottle(TM) has over 2,500,000 users
and is growing rapidly.
-- HighSchoolStyleBoard is a photo-rating site with a few new twists.
Users can post photos in numerous categories, such as "Best Hair" and
"Preppiest." Multiple votes per page and an extensive "Top 500" list in
each category keeps users returning to this site.
-- Surveys4Teens is an email based resource for teens who are interested
in age-appropriate research. Surveys4Teens has a unique audience of
over 250,000 teens.