Universal announces 'King Kong' Affinity MasterCard
According to the 'Kong is King' fan site, Universal is planning to issue a limited edition King Kong MasterCard on October 1st:
The new card, an illustration of Kong on the the front, depicting a poignant moment on Skull Island, is the ultimate design for fans eagerly awaiting the release of the movie. Consumers may pre-register for the card by visiting the official KING KONG movie website and clicking on 'Get the Card' - and in the months leading up to the film, have the opportunity to receive King Kong theatrical updates, sneak-peeks at Limited Edition Kong merchandise and much more.
Universal has had their branded card for several years now, but this is the first time an affinity credit card has been issued to promote a film. The card is part of a broader effort by Universal to cultivate long-term awareness for 'King Kong', and with over 300,000 monthly visitors and 65,000+ forum posts to the Kong is King site, they definitely seem on track. [Via Kong is King.net]
McDonald's and DreamWorks Animation enter Marketing Pact
According to an announcement today, McDonald's is teaming up with DreamWorks Animation to promote upcoming films starting in 2007:
DreamWorks Animation SKG and McDonald's Corporation today announced a two-year worldwide marketing and promotional relationship. The first film associated with the tie-in will be Shrek 3, slated for release in 2007, and will include such signature promotions as McDonald's Happy Meals®.
The partnership, which gives McDonald's worldwide promotional rights to new DreamWorks animated properties, was announced today by Jeffrey Katzenberg, DreamWorks Animation Chief Executive Officer, and Mike Roberts, McDonald's President and Chief Operating Officer.
The agreement comes as McDonald's exclusive, ten-year deal comes to an end. On the other hand, the DreamWorks deal is non-exclusive, and the short duration gives both companies the opportunity to assess the success or failure of the partnership fairly quickly.
Given the uncertainty of the new release business for the foreseeable future, this is a smart marketing move for both parties. While Disney and McDonald's had some wild successes (in particular, with the Pixar releases) the ten-year exclusive deal is a relic of a slower, more stable period in the theatrical business.
[Via Yahoo! Finance]
Fox Teams up with the USO for 'Patton' DVD Relaunch
According to a company press release, 20th Century Fox will donate a portion of their total sales from 'Patton' and 25 other upcoming war classics DVDs to the USO:
The DVDs will arrive in stores nationwide on July 26 with fifty cents of each DVD's purchase price donated to the USO, with the donation totaling up to $150,000. Each DVD will also carry a "Support Our Troops" sticker on package. In addition, copies of each movie will be distributed to the USO's 121 centers worldwide.
This initiative is a good example of social cause marketing that makes sense for both parties involved -- not only are they doing a great thing by aiding the USO, but Fox is also reaching a demographic that are huge consumers of military-themed DVDs. Prior to 2000, the USO was an aging institution, and usage of their centers had fallen off considerably. With the current tempo of military operations, however, thousands of soldiers will be exposed to these products. Looks like a win-win situation for both parties here.
[ Via Businesswire]
NY Post Distributes Free 'Batman Begins' Comic Book
Fast Company alerted us to another Batman Begins promo and giveaway -- basically, the New York Post is giving away free copies of a special 'Batman' comic book with each newspaper. As Warner Bros. parent company Time Warner owns D.C. Comics, this isn't surprising. Fast Company notes that there's a saturation level of outdoor advertising on the streets of Gotham, and we're battening down the hatches for the maelstrom of 'Batman Begins' TV ads this week.
Seems that the MSM has pegged Batman as the last hope for a decent theatrical take at the box office this season. If the early reviews are any indication, that won't be a problem.
[Via Fast Company Now]
NBC Universal's Promotional Planning Efforts Pay Off
According to an article in today's Mediaweek, the promotional synergies planned by the NBC Universal Marketing Council have been paying off. The council, which is an internal task force comprised of key marketing executives from NBC and Universal, have been coordinating efforts to maximize promotional opportunities. The article cites three films -- The Bourne Supremacy, Meet the Fockers and Along came Polly -- that the Council focused on where they had attained positive results:
For Bourne, all dayparts on NBC, Bravo, USA and the other company-owned cable units ran promo spots leading up to the premiere, which resulted in a $52 million opening. And for Fockers, the NBC-owned stations held contests in their local markets, where viewers with the last name Focker were invited to a “Focker Family Reunion” at the Universal Orlando theme park. NBCU’s Access Hollywood ran a show on the reunion promo, and, along with the NBC O&Os, premiered the movie’s trailer.
According to Mediaweek, the council devotes between 100-120 gross rating points per week to the current promotional effort.
It would be interesting to see if Time Warner or Fox uses an approach similar to NBCU -- they are decidedly less vocal about it if they do.
NBC Universal's Cross-Promotion Strategy Pays Off
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