MUMBAI: Universal Studios Home Entertainment has formed extensive marketing alliances with a select group of family brands to promote the 26 September DVD release of animated family feature Curious George.
Partnering with Universal to spread the news about the Curious George DVD are Dole Food Company, French’s Potato Sticks, Langers Juice, Little Debbie, Carvel, Cold-EEZE and Parenting magazine.
The studio’s Universal Studios Partnerships division (USP) worked with the brands from the earliest stages of the film’s development to identify marketing opportunities throughout the property’s life cycle. In the case of Dole, it meant product placement within the Curious George film and videogame, as well as cross-promotional campaigns for the theatrical and home entertainment releases.
“We pitch properties, not platforms. USP’s unique structure allows us to work with corporate partners to find Universal properties that are appropriate for their brand. Only then do we begin discussing timing, execution and which window or windows offer them the greatest marketing value,” said Universal Studios Partnerships executive vice president Stephanie Sperber.
“In today’s marketplace, an average 60 per cent of consumers who purchase a DVD have not previously seen the film in theaters. In other words, because a brand is missing more than half of a property’s audience if it only participates during the theatrical campaign, taking part in a DVD campaign ensures the greatest awareness,” said Universal Studios Home Entertainment executive vice president marketing Ken Graffeo.
Carvel, Cold-Eeze, Dole and Langers also participated in successful cross-promotional campaigns for Curious George‘s theatrical release.
“We are pleased to extend our partnership with Universal Pictures beyond the very successful debut of Curious George. Families will truly be able to boost their celebrations with the DVD and these fine brands,†said Celebration Foods chief operating officer Craig Hall.
Over the past year, USP and its partners launched cross-platform promotional campaigns for King Kong and The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift. Partnering on both the theatrical and DVD windows of King Kong were Kellogg’s, Nestle, Toshiba and Chase; multi-platform partners for Tokyo Drift partners included Castrol, Meguiar’s and Toyo Tires.
Highlights of the Curious George DVD partnerships include:
- Carvel will include discount coupons for the Curious George DVD in 500,000 ice cream cakes, promoting the offer in radio spots, free-standing inserts and grocery store static clings. The brand also appears in NAMCO’s Curious George videogame.
- Cold-EEZE is advertising a national Curious George sweepstakes in the October issue of Parenting magazine that offers a trip for four to a
- Dole will affix Curious George stickers to 100 million bananas and Curious George hangers on 4.5 million pineapples as well as distributing 10,000 point-of-sale displays nationwide. Dole products are featured in Namco’s Curious George videogame and in the film itself.
- French’s Potato Sticks will distribute 2.8 million Curious George themed packages as well as over 200,000 Curious George themed stickers on French’s Potato Sticks’ single server 8 multi-pack boxes and promote a national online sweepstakes for a consumer to win a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood. Additionally, this offer will be promoted in a national free-standing insert.
- Langers Juice will include Curious George labels on 2 million of its juices and promote the film in free-standing inserts as well as online.
- Thirty million Little Debbie snack packages will offer a mail-in rebate for the Curious George DVD, as well as a mail-in offer for themed accessories.
- Parenting magazine will present a full-page advertorial in its October issue featuring a “sneak peek” at the Curious George/Dole interactive game that drives consumers online.
