By Amy Campbell
A&E’s “Storage Wars” may seem like the show that put self-storage on the map, but, really, the industry has been popping up in a number of places over the years. In fact, The Storage Center, which operates 31 facilities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, recently created this fun infographic illustrating just how often the industry has been featured in TV shows and movies. Note the spacing of the years and variety of genres.
Just last week, the premier episode of TNT’s “Franklin & Bash,” which follows a couple of rule-breaking lawyers, used self-storage as the backdrop. The duo took on a client fighting a lien sale. Talk about a timely topic!
And who can forget last year’s hoopla over the thriller “Self Storage” starring Eric Roberts, Jonathan Silverman and Michael Berryman. A similar movie, “Blood Shed,” was released earlier this year. Self-storage was even featured in the acclaimed “Silence of the Lambs.”
So does having storage facilities on the big and small screen benefit you? It does offer the industry exposure, but often self-storage is used as a setting for sinister stuff—cue the bodies, criminals storing drugs/weapons/money, etc. However, viewers understand they’re not watching reality. They recognize storage is used as a background, just like when a story line includes a bank, park, airport or any other normal setting.
And, fortunately, not all appearances of storage units in movies and TV include a negative plot line. As noted in The Storage Center’s infographic, in the 2011 Larry Crowne movie, Julia Roberts’ character takes Tom Hanks’ character to her storage unit—via scooters, no less—to grab some more fashionable clothing. This is just one example of self-storage in a positive light. Even the “Franklin & Bash” showed the tenant’s glee over the preservation of his valuable item in the storage unit.
“Storage Wars” has undoubtedly provided the industry with the most exposure thus far. While some operators laud the reality TV show, others claim it’s done more damage than good. Regardless of which side you’re on, you can’t deny the ongoing exposure it’s brought to the storage industry.
Has storage in the movies or TV benefited your facility? Post a comment below or share your thoughts on this Self-Storage Talk thread.