This film was released around the time I was working at Blockbuster in Staines upon Thames, because I remember the trailer played a lot on the TV screens, blasting out Real Good Time by Pink as I restocked the popcorn bins and put rental returns back on the shelves.

Let’s not forget The Prodigy’s Firestarter and Electric Six’s Danger! High Voltage are on this soundtrack, too.

Ahhh, the early Noughties! It. Was. Bangin’.

Did I go to the cinema to see it as well? You betcha. I was a little Justin Theroux-obsessed after studying Mulholland Drive as part of the A-Level Film Studies surreal cinema module at the time… and then, there’s that Muse music video he’s in. Hysteria. (Stop distracting me, Justin!)

Back to Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle…

Note: I’ll be abbreviating it to “CA:FT,” as the title is fun to say in full, but too tiring to keep typing. (I could copy and paste it, but, meh.)

CA:FT is a ‘guilty pleasure’ pick for me on many levels:

– The long, almost one-shot opening sequence
– Dylan’s (My Girl Drew Barrymore) checkered past and disguises
– Natalie’s (Cameron D-iaz) dancing
– The way Alex (Lucy Liu) shuts down any flirtatious advances while she’s working

It also makes an interesting point about ‘old vs. new.’

For anyone who hasn’t seen the film (yeah, right!), CA:FT is more like a cinematic reboot than a reimagining of the 70s show, because it links back to the original:

– There’s a core trio (for visual associations to the classic cast), but with new characters
– We get a cameo from one of the OG ‘Angels.’ Enter Jaclyn Smith who appears when Dylan (Drew Barrymore) needs a motivational pep talk.
– Plus, it references the past with the villain of the film, Madison Lee (Demi Moore), as a former-rogue ‘Angel.’ (Not from the TV series, though.)

So, the story isn’t just about what’s happening now. It’s about how the past shapes the present.

Here’s the old vs. new product marketing inspo from the high-octane, action-comedy sequel…

Respect the original

The film doesn’t ignore what came before it. It leans into it, celebrates it, and builds on it.

This can be a good product marketing strategy when competing with legacy products your customers are already using and have invested in, way back when.

Even if the legacy product/ service/ system is:

– Slightly outdated
– More than a bit clunky
– Not perfectly integrated

It has been purchased, rolled out, and embedded into daily routines, over months and even years. And if it works (or kind of works for most people who use it), people stick with it and get used to it because they feel they have to.

It’s tough competition, despite its flaws that haven’t aged well.

New only works if it’s meaningfully better

CA:FT doesn’t just lather, rinse, and repeat the original formula from the TV series. It turns everything up. FULL. THROTTLE.

With:

– Adrenaline-fuelled action
– Faster narrative pacing
– More humour and tomfoolery

It gives new audiences a reason to watch it, as well as providing a nostalgic nudge for fans of the original to give the film a go. It can also encourage old/ new audiences to seek out the series to watch it, wherever it’s streaming.

In marketing, if the difference between the old and new isn’t obvious, people won’t switch. Who can blame them?

Being shiny and new isn’t what the value proposition is. Being better or adding more value is.

You don’t have to replace the old immediately…

…Because sometimes a better strategy is for old and new to work alongside one another to:

Integrate. Complement. Enhance.

Why not let both products co-exist until the value of the new becomes clear and undeniable? Because forcing change too quickly creates friction, but guiding change can reduce it and lower any barriers.

There’s even more angelic product marketing inspiration to reveal. Just like one of the ‘Angel’s’ rubber mask reveals, courtesy of the Charles Townsend Agency… maybe.

Adoption needs training, not just features

Dylan, Alex, and Natalie didn’t just show up one day and instantly know everything. They trained, learned, and adapted their skills to use all the cutting-edge tools, like the ‘molar mic’ from the first film.

…And the ‘molar mic’ was invented by none other than the Malevolent Madison. #Callback!

Even the best products, like molar mics, need onboarding, CPD, customer support, demos, and context to use them successfully. If a better product is difficult to understand or implement, it will likely lose to the ‘safer,’ familiar, legacy one.

Innovation should be practical, not just impressive

The disguises and gadgets in CA:FT are fantastical, but they’re useful within the logic of the film and essential to the overall narrative.

Like the HALO rings, which seem a little outlandish, BUT —

They help the Angels do their job better and that’s the key.

In marketing, it’s very easy to fall in love and focus on your product’s fancy features because they look great in a demo and sound impressive in a pitch, but they don’t always solve a meaningful problem when the focus is style over substance.

If it doesn’t make someone’s day easier, faster, or clearer… It’s just noise. (Like Creepy Thin Man’s high-pitched scream.)

Even if the features do resolve a critical pain point, this lede can be buried when the brand or campaign messaging is feature-focused, instead of concentrating on the desired outcome and meaningfulness factor.

And the CA:FT takeaway is…

Marketing that deals with old vs. new products shouldn’t be a battle, but a transition that doesn’t try to erase what came before.

Like the TV ‘Angels’ and the film ones.

Oh, and Dylan Saunders and Helen Zass, of course!

Now I’m curious…

– What’s a product you’ve used that the 2.0 version genuinely improved on the previous one?
– And what product was “new,” but didn’t really add anything meaningful?

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