$ex and the City

So Carrie and Company have done the unthinkable. This little Chick Flick earned over $55 million and knocked Indiana Jones off the number one spot on the weekend box office chart.

I keep reading articles about how shocked people are that the film did so well. Even Warner Brothers was only expecting to pull in $30 million. It’s like the whole word has suddenly realized that there are a lot of women out there who can afford a $10 movie ticket.

I saw it myself this weekend. (Just for the record, I’m a man. But I wore my dirtiest camouflage pants and a Black Flag T-shirt, so it’s ok.) It was quite an experience. The second the SATC theme started the audience cheered. It was like seeing the latest Batman film in a theatre full of teenagers.

So what will the advertisers think of this success? Will they say it’s just an aberration? A freak combination of good weather, nothing on TV, and the drawing power of Chris Noth?

Or will they get smart?

It’s time for the Mad Men to wake up to the fact that there are a lot of women in this country with a whole lot of money. Give them the kind of stories they want, and they’ll flock to their theatres or TV sets or IPods. Ignore this demographic, and hey, you’re ignoring a demographic.

I hope the studios and agencies and networks will learn the lesson of Sex and the City’s opening weekend. Marketing for women is not just progressive or politically correct. It’s worth a fortune.