MovieChat Forums > Independence Day (1996) Discussion > So, explain to me: why was the slogan fo...

So, explain to me: why was the slogan for this turd “ID4”? Really: justify it to me.

posted 2 years ago by R_Kane (15828)
44 replies | jump to latest

Was it ANYTHING other than a cocaine-fueled ad man’s “brainstorm” about how to link this with the USA’s Fourth of July celebration with a movie that does not have “4” in the title? Or did the meeting go something like, “We can just call it ‘ID,’ it sounds like you’re getting carded before that let you into a club.” Guy (brushing powder off his nose, having been graduated from a Mexican college) “I know! Let’s call it ‘ID4.’ That brings the number 4 into it, so the slogan has more letters AND a meaningless number!”

There are no limits to human stupidity.

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7734) 2 years ago

Frankly I like this movie. I don't care if it's silly or if the aliens are defeated because of a computer virus. I will admit though that I don't get why it's called ID4.

[–] acidraindrop (3055) 2 years ago

Troll thread. Even a child couldn't be this stupid as to be confused from the ID4 abbreviation.

[–] damocci (1514) 2 years ago

Why not start a lame troll thread about Se7en, while you're at it. It's not the seventh movie in a franchise and the number 7 doesn't look like a V. It's ironic that you say "There are no limits to human stupidity" while posting a stupid topic like this .

[–] The LA Baker (971) 2 years ago

That is also stupid.
Thanks for reminding me. I was talking about that at work a few weeks ago. Everyone agreed the 7 in the title was asinine.

[–] AndyKing1967 (38427) 2 years ago

Wait! What? You mean this wasn’t part 7 of a franchise?

[–] aavfreak (3334) a year ago

Wait until you hear about Malcolm X. There are no previous nine movies.

[–] AndyKing1967 (38427) a year ago

Nooooooooooooooooo😱

[–] Karl Aksel (1487) a year ago

Se7en refers to the seven deadly sins. It refers to something. The 4 in ID4 doesn't refer to anything. It's a legit question.

[–] FilmBuff (7272) a year ago

Really? It doesn't refer to anything? The movie is called Independence Day and takes place on the 4th of July. It should be obvious to nearly anyone that the 4 refers to July 4th. It's a clever tagline.

[–] Karl Aksel (1487) a year ago

No one knows it takes place on the 4th of July without having seen the movie first. So it's meaningless as a tagline.

[–] FilmBuff (7272) a year ago

No one knows Se7en is about the seven deadly sins without having seen the movie first. So it's a meaningless tagline.

Meanwhile, it's obvious to anyone that a film called Independence Day, which was released July 3rd for the Independence Day weekend, is about Independence Day, and the tagline ID4 makes perfect sense to nearly anyone.

[–] Karl Aksel (1487) a year ago

"ID" is short for "identification", and that's what everyone associates with that abbreviation. "4" gives no further clue. "4/7" would, but just "4" - ID4 what? Just makes it look like it's the fourth movie in a franchise. One single digit number evokes no associations to dates. In the case of Se7en, that's the title, not a tagline, and the poster lists every one of the sins. And one of the taglines: "Seven deadly sins. Seven ways to die." Sounds pretty clear to me. See, that's the whole point with taglines: they elaborate on the title, giving the audience a clue as to what the movie is about.

[–] FilmBuff (7272) a year ago

I doubt anyone other than you has trouble understanding that ID was an abbreviation for Independence Day. I recall no one at the time it came out questioning the clear and obvious meaning of ID4.

[–] Karl Aksel (1487) a year ago

I'm willing to bet you didn't realise ID4 was a title tag for Independence Day at all, until you came across this thread. It really didn't last very long, and only existed in the first place to avoid copyright claims as there was already an earlier movie called "Independence Day".

[–] FilmBuff (7272) a year ago

Are you being serious? I was in line to see that film on opening day, and still think of it as ID4 to this day. In any event, that's a bet you would lose.

[–] Karl Aksel (1487) 10 months ago

I saw this movie in the theatres as well, and I never knew about "ID4" until this thread.

[–] FilmBuff (7272) 10 months ago

The ID4 ads were everywhere back then. Perhaps you just don't recall seeing it back then?

[–] GetWokeGoBroke (766) 2 years ago

It's not a meaningless number. The 4 in the title represents the 4th of July (duh), what's so hard to understand about that? It's just a catchy title gimmick for the advertising, nothing more. It's pretty simple.

[–] melloeric (28) a year ago

Incel alert

[–] Karl Aksel (1487) a year ago

From the wiki:

"At the time, the production was nicknamed "ID4" because Warner Bros. owned the rights to the title because of a film from 1983 which is also called Independence Day. Devlin had hoped that if Fox executives noticed the addition in dailies, the impact of the new dialogue would help them to win the rights to the title."

This still doesn't explain the 4, though. By that reasoning, they should have called it ID2 - unless there were three prior movies called Independence Day.

[–] moviechatterer (15796) a year ago

unless there were three prior movies called Independence Day.

This is what I heard back when it came out.

[–] Kj1oceanlust (1465) a year ago

Simply because Americans are obsessed with politics. The majority of them seem to crave political discussions, or making political innuendos. I use to work in the USA (I'm Canadian), and a couple of men I worked with who of course were American, constantly said "you Canadians this and that". He wasn't complaining or being insulting, just kept referring to the political difference lol. On another occasion, I was in Cancun Mexico and met another Canadian. I said to him, if the first American we meet doesn't mention something to do with politics, I'll buy you drinks til midnight. Well, shortly at a beach bar we met some Americans, and under 30 seconds they started talking about Obama and American politics lol. I bought him no drinks lol.Their cartoons often make political references as well, "King Of The Hill" did it lots. Americans love politics!

[–] avigalidou (611) a year ago

F u c k off edgelord go watch 'modern' wokeflix or some Nolan or Villeneuve pretentious & super boring film
Independence Day(1996) rocks purest form of 90s cinema entertainment