Girls Gone Wild

The first Girls Gone Wild film was released in 1997. In 2001, the company sold 4.5 million videos and DVDs. By the end of 2002, the company had produced 83 different titles and had begun airing 30-minute infomercials on E! Entertainment Television, Fox Sports Net, BET, Comedy Central, TechTV, Style, and all other major American networks. The infomercials targeted a late-night channel-surfing demographic that Joe Francis had identified in the late 1990s. According to TNS Media Intelligence, Girls Gone Wild spent more than $21 million in advertising in 2003, becoming the largest advertiser for programs on the E! channel. In 2008, Francis' net worth was approximately $150 million.

Instances of Girls Gone Wild in popular culture include the appearance of Eminem and Snoop Dogg in the company's videos, as well as various references and parodies of the show in popular television series and movies. MGM announced in 2002 that it would release a feature-length film based on the Girls Gone Wild concept.

Content

Most Girls Gone Wild videos follow a common formula in which a film crew interacts with a large crowd of people either at a party, club, or other event. Women willingly take off their clothes, engage in sexual activities, or participate in wet T-shirt contests. Compensation for taking part in a Girls Gone Wild video often consists of a free hat, T-shirt, or money. Occasionally, participants are invited to be filmed on a Girls Gone Wild tour bus.

Distribution channels

At its inception, Girls Gone Wild marketed its product, namely videos, through direct-distribution channels such as infomercials, pay-per-view, video on demand and internationally by Ballistic Distribution. This distribution was followed in 2008 by the launch of a Girls Gone Wild magazine, a clothing line, and a compilation record released on Jive Records.

Lawsuits and criminal charges

In 2002, the company settled with a Florida State University student named Becky Lynn Gritzke. The young woman had flashed her breasts at Mardi Gras the year before and the company used video and an image of her for promotional material. Gritzke argued that her privacy had been violated but the company countered that removing one's clothing in public meant forfeiting one's right to privacy.

In 2003, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint against Girls Gone Wild alleging that the company failed to notify customers when they purchased subscriptions under a continuity program, rather than single DVDs. In 2004, GGW settled for $1.1 million and agreed to disclose all terms and get consent for recurring charges.

In 2006, Girls Gone Wild marketer MRA Holdings pleaded guilty to charges for failing to record the ages of its subjects in 2002 and 2003. The parties agreed to pay $2.1 million in restitution and fines.

In 2008, Ashley Dupré filed against Joe Francis and other defendants claiming that they filmed her without consent. She later dropped the suit, commenting through her attorney that she wanted to focus on positive opportunities in her life.

In 2008, a Missouri woman claimed that she was filmed without consent when a Girls Gone Wild contractor removed her halter top at a St. Louis bar. A jury found that she consented. On re-trial, a judge awarded the woman $5.77 million after the defense failed to show at court. On appeal, the judge upheld the verdict.

In March 2008, four women claimed that they suffered emotional distress by being shown in Girls Gone Wild film. In April 2011, a jury declined to award damages to the plaintiffs. However, in January 2015, Francis agreed to settle a separate 2003 lawsuit that involved allegations of him taping the exposed breasts of underage girls as part of Girls Gone Wild content. The 2015 civil settlement also involved Francis agreeing to serve 336 days in jail after accepting a no contest plea to criminal charges of child abuse and prostitution.