CULVER CITY, Calif. (AP) — A studio that came under fire for promoting films using a phony reviewer and letting employees endorse movies in testimonial ads has hired a veteran executive to lead its marketing efforts.
Sony Pictures hired Geoffrey Ammer to be president of marketing for its Columbia TriStar Marketing Group. Ammer, who will start in the newly created position Sept. 4, will report directly to Jeff Blake, president of worldwide marketing and distribution for the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group.
"It's been my goal to put together the best marketing group in the business," Blake said in a statement Wednesday. "With Geoff's appointment I think we've got that team in place."
Sony was embarrassed earlier this year when it was revealed that it quoted the nonexistent film reviewer David Manning in ads for two of its movies. The studio also admitted it used employees in a testimonial ad for another film.
Twentieth Century Fox also admitted it had also used employees in testimonial ads.
Ammer joins Columbia from Revolution Studios. Before joining Revolution, he served as co-president of marketing in the Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group at The Walt Disney Co.