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CREATIVE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS & ENTERTAINMENT MERCHANDISING

June/July 1998


Sprint Runs ‘Summer Movie Spectacular’ Promo.

Sprint is conducting a Summer Movie Spectacular promotion that gives Sprint customers up to eight free movie tickets to the season’s biggest blockbusters.

Consumers who sign up for Sprint long distance service can get two free movie tickets to see virtually any movie at any theater of their choice. In addition, consumers are also given two more free tickets each month for three months when they remain a Sprint long distance customer and spend at least $10 each month. Customers can claim up to eight free movie passes.

To help promote the Sprint Summer Movie Spectacular, Sprint has formed marketing ties with the summer’s biggest films. "We look for new and exciting ways to add even greater value to Sprint’s great rates and great service," said Tom Kessler, Assistant V.P., Marketing for Sprint’s Consumer Services Group.

Sprint is supporting the promotion with p.o.p. materials, created by Draft Worldwide, Chicago, IL.


Columbia Tristar Displays "The Swan Princess III"

This summer, Columbia TriStar Home Video is supporting "The Swan Princess III and the Mystery of the Enchanted Treasure," a direct-to-video sequel to its popular "Swan Princess," with a joint promotion with Kid Cuisine Frozen Meals.

The video will be featured on the packaging of over 6 million Kid Cuisine Frozen Meals. Every frozen meal will contain a specially made "Swan Princess III Activity Book" featuring stickers and coloring pages. Consumers who purchase the video and three packages of Kid Cuisine Frozen Meals will be eligible to receive a $5 rebate by mail.

Columbia TriStar Home Video will support the video with a extensive in-store displays, including a 15-count counter display, 30 and 45 count floor displays, a 128-count tower, a 216 pallet display and a theatrical poster.


Counter Display Demos Nintendo Game Boy Camera

Nintendo of America has introduced the Game Boy Camera, featuring a swiveling lens that fits into any Game Boy or Game Boy pocket unit, transforming the hand-held video game system into an easy-to-use, low-cost digital camera and "funtography" studio. Users can also print photo stickers when using the Game Boy Camera with the Nintendo Game Boy Printer.

"Transforming the Game Boy into a pocket-sized digital camera and studio puts cutting-edge technology directly into the hands of kids of all ages," said Peter Main, Nintendo’s Exec. V.P., Sales and Marketing.

The Game Boy Camera comes bundled with four mini-games that allows users to place an image of their choice upon the face of the main game character.

The Game Boy Camera and Printer are being supported with special banners, posters and in-store displays.


Sound Source Display Promotes Free Video

Sound Source Interactive, Inc., a Calabasas, CA-based publisher of licensed children’s software products, is offering retailers this 36 unit free-standing turnkey "back-to-school" display designed to publicize its free video offer.

Customers can receive free videos by purchasing any of the company’s specially marked educational software titles via a peel-off mail-in coupon. Videos are available from The Land Before Time series, Casper the Ghost, An American Tail and the original Lost In Space television series.

"We created this pre-packed display for easy set up, to promote a great free video offer and to take advantage of the additional exposure of Windows 98 foot traffic," said Tim Murphy, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Sound Source Interactive.


Random House Display Promotes JellyBean Books

Random House Children’s Publishing, has introduced a line of inexpensive hardcover books, for children 2-5 years old. Jellybean Books contain 12 titles featuring top-selling authors and licenses including Sesame Street, Babe, Berenstain Bears and Thomas the Tank Engine.

"Jellybean Books are inexpensive, interesting to look at and feature top authors and great stories," said Joan Abramowitz, V.P., Marketing.

"We think there is an opportunity for retailers to introduce an even broader range of children and babies to reading."

The line will be supported with both counter and floor displays.


Hallmark Bakery Outpost Presents Party Fun

Hallmark Cards, Inc. is using this new bakery outpost fixture to offer consumers the convenience of one-stop shopping for cakes and partyware and to help maximize productivity for retailers.

The bakery outpost offers the ultimate in convenience by highlighting a variety of partyware patterns featuring key properties.

Counter-top high, the four-sided display allows consumers to view products at all angles and provides the bakery department with the perfect location to display the "cake-of-the-week," which usually coordinates with the featured partyware product.

"The bakery outpost is performing extremely well for our retailers," said Ray Paine, Marketing Strategist for Hallmark. "By strategically placing these fixtures in high-traffic bakeries, we offer consumers a one-stop shopping experience and we increase retailers’ potential for incremental sales."


Hershey Partners With Cendant Software For Promo

This summer, grocery store, drug store, and mass merchant shoppers purchasing packages of Hershey’s candy will receive a free, trial version CD-ROM containing interactive previews of 13 best-selling Cendant Software programs. In addition, consumers will receive $65 worth of coupons good toward the purchase of full versions of any of these 13 titles.

Consumers will be able to take home the CD either inside the candy package or from a nearby retail display; or send a coupon to receive the CD by mail. Al Germann, Marketing Director, Hershey, said "We are excited to work with a company offering so many top education brands like JumpStart and Math Blaster, with top games such as NASCAR Racing. The combination of these great titles and Hershey’s chocolate offers families an unprecedented value."


Northsound Offers Interactive Power Wing

NorthSound Music Group, Minocqua, WI, has introduced an interactive, power wing that attracts customers anywhere in the store. The display is portable and can fit on check-out racks or other narrow spaces.

Customers simply press the touch-and-play panel to hear a 20 second music sample. Each merchandiser features three best selling titles.

The compact display measures 13 3/4" W x 52 1/2" H x 4 1/4" D. The unit is battery operated, easy to install and easy to update. It is available both as a power wing and with a base to make it a free-standing display.


Sam Goody Partners With Pepsi For Pepsi Pop Culture Promotion

Musicland’s Sam Goody and Musicland stores are partnering with"Pepsi Pop Culture," Pepsi’s summer promotion. Pepsi Pop Culture will offer instant rewards with free music from Sam Goody and Musicland. Approximately 400,000 consumers nationwide will win a free CD, redeemable at any of the 703 Sam Goody and Musicland stores across the country.

"This promotion provides excellent synergies for both Pepsi and Musicland," said Marcia Appel, Sr. V.P., Advertising, and Communications, Musicland Stores. "Pepsi Pop Culture will drive traffic to our stores and provide Pepsi consumers with a valuable prize."


Best Buy Offers PGL Retail Destination

The AMD Professional Gamers’ League (PGL) has secured Best Buy Co. as the official national retailer of the AMD PGL. The Professional Gamers’ League, the first pro sports league for computer game enthusiasts, has attracted sponsorship funding from a dozen leading manufacturers and service providers in the consumer and technology markets.

As part of its exclusive agreement with the PGL, Best Buy will feature PGL signage and collateral materials in "The Game Gear," the peripherals area in all its stores, and work with the PGL to create other promotional opportunities for the league’s sponsors.

Best Buy will display the PGL logo at the entrance to its Game Zone area, provide an "endcap" slot for PGL brochures and coupons, and present customers with sign-up cards and quarterly print programs in its stores.


Planet Hollywood And MTV To Create ‘Sound Republic'

Planet Hollywood has joined forces with MTV to create live music based destinations around the world. Under the brand name, "Sound Republic," each venue will feature a live music performance space as well as a music based restaurant and retail outlet.

MTV will promote this new brand with regular broadcasts of live music performances from "Sound Republic" locations worldwide.

Robert Earl, Planet Hollywood, CEO said, "We believe MTV represents the strongest partner in the world of music with which to co-develop and build our new brand. Our new locations will offer cutting edge technology, the best in sound and visual experiences, and the most unique experience in music since MTV’s introduction in 1981."


Campbell Launches New Soups

Campbell Soup has launched a Ready-To-Serve version of its tomato soup and Soup To Go, a microwavable single-serving bowl for the workplace and school lunches. In addition, Campbell announced a partnership with Nickelodeon, linking Campbell’s to Nickelodeon’s "Blue’s Clues" and "Rugrats."

"These new products will broaden our consumer base by appealing to consumers whose busy lifestyles demand increased convenience without sacrificing quality," said Mark Leckie, President, Campbell’s U.S. Grocery Division.

"They build on the success of our core business and take advantage of new packaging formats such as plastic and glass that complement our great strength in canned soups. We are also significantly increasing our kids marketing efforts."


Sega To Launch ‘Dreamcast’ Super Console Sega Enterprises, has announced plans to introduce Dreamcast, a powerful new 128-bit game console. Dreamcast achieves unrivaled system performance and is the first video game console to offer standard networking features for multiplayer gaming. Marketing support for the Dreamcast introduction will touch all parts of the target consumer’s life with advertising, sales promotions, event marketing and retail merchandising. Alcone Marketing Group, Irvine, CA, has been retained to develop promotion

Sprint and Max Factor On Board As Partners For "Titanic" Video

The "Titanic" video will debut September 1, 1998, supported by Paramount Home Video’s largest marketing campaign ever, including consumer promotions with industry leaders Sprint and Max Factor.

The combined marketing campaign will exceed $50 million and will generate more than an estimated three billion consumer impressions over a five month period.

Paramount and Sprint are teaming up in an offer wherein Sprint buys the Titanic video for consumers. Consumers who switch to Sprint Long Distance service will receive a voucher by mail, redeemable at participating video retail locations, good for up to $22.00 off the purchase of the "Titanic" video. Or consumers can redeem the Sprint coupon found inside specially marked Titanic videocassettes, switch to Sprint and receive a $22.00 rebate check by mail from Sprint. The Sprint promotion will be supported with TV, print and on-line and in-store advertising at over 5,000 Sprint Stores in RadioShacks across the country.

Max Factor, tying in with its largest marketing campaign ever, has created a Fall line of color cosmetics inspired by the film. With purchase of "Titanic" on video and $10 worth of Max Factor products, consumers will receive the book, "James Cameron’s Titanic" free by mail. Max Factor will promote the line with 60,000 in-store displays.

Paramount has created p.o.p. materials to help all retail categories maximize Titanic’s in-store presence. Four hanging funnels, inspired by the Titanic’s distinctive funnels are designed for ceiling or free standing display. There is a two-sided 75" x 34" banner and an oversized outdoor banner. Six-foot standees, 24-, 48- and 96-piece pre-packs show the Titanic cutting through ocean waves. Also available are 120- and 240-piece towers.


Warner, Doritos, & Gibson Guitars Run Music Promotion

Warner Custom Music is joining for a cross-promotion with Doritos and Gibson Guitars in which 50 million guitar picks featuring 14 Warner Music Group recording artists will be packaged into 56 million Doritos Super Grab Bags. One randomly placed ‘platinum pick’ entitles the bearer to an "unplugged" concert in their hometown featuring one or more of the "pick" artists.

"We are thrilled to partner with these companies to create awareness for our artists," said Brian Murphy, Exec. VP, Warner Custom Music.

Some 30,000 displays will drive sales of the Doritos bags in both convenience markets and in Sam Goody/Musicland music stores.


Microsoft Supports Windows98 With POP

Microsoft has provided computer retailers with an array of p.o.p. materials to support the launch of Windows‘98.

There are pallet displays, topped with eye-catching flags, which support the "Works Better, Plays Better" marketing theme.

Special corrugated displays with eight product facings were designed for end-aisle and in-aisle placemen

Colorful graphics panels and flags were also designed to call attention to the product launch at permanent fixtures.


Marketing Campaign Backs "Scooby-Doo"

Warner Bros. is releasing "Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island," supported by one of Warner’s largest merchandising campaigns.

Wendy’s Restaurants, 1-800-COLLECT and Franco-American will tie-in with the promotion. Wendy’s will feature Scoobie-Doo On Zombi Island-themed Kids Meals, with Scooby-Doo premiums and a coupon for savings on the video. Displays and trayliner activity sheets will promote the video in-store. 1-800-COLLECT will offer a Scooby-Doo On Zombie post card with a $9.00 offer for free collect calls with the purchase of every video. Franco-American SpaghettiOs features an instant win game offering an island vacation as the grand prize and "Scooby-Doo" videos as first prizes.

Over 100 shopping malls nationwide will feature a Scooby-Doo Mall-o-ween experience, including a photo experience, trivia contest, and costume characters. Scooby-Doo licensed merchandise will feature a hang tag offering a $3 mail-in rebate on the video.

"Scooby-Doo On Zombie Island" merchandisers in 12, 24, 36, 48 and 96 packs will be available.


This combination standee/product merchandiser floor display was designed to hold compact disks, audio cassettes and video tapes, all of which were interchangeable depending on retail preferences. The unit was shipped as a pre-pack. All mounting, direct-printing and assembly was done by Alpak at their factory. The design was also by Alpak. Alpak Manufacturing Corp., 181 Boyd Street, P.O. Box 339, Montgomery, NY 12549.


This in-store display was designed as a demonstrator and educator of Panasonic’s new DVD stereo/Audio product. Bright, updatable outboard graphics panels and powerful logo placement, as well as accessible brochures easily available to consumers, serve to educate the consumer on the new technology. By placing working components on the display, DVD’s superiority to traditional videotapes is demonstrated. Consumers have access to a full range of performance option in this mini-demonstration "environment". The consumer’s shopping experience is enhanced with the ability to actually test and play with the system. RTC Industries, 2800 Golf Road, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008.


The Mini CD Kiosk was created for Best Buy Stores as an interactive display to introduce shoppers to a new audio format, the recordable mini CDs. The unit was constructed on an existing gondola endcap resulting in considerable savings. By utilizing an existing fixture, strategic positioning on a main aisle was achieved. Thorco Industries, Inc., P.O. Box 110, Lamar, MO 64759.


This LUMINAIRE ULTRA backlit display offers outstanding illumination characteristics, elegant styling aesthetics and is an industry standard for backlit graphic display illuminators. It is available in sizes from 11" x 14" (279 x 356 mm) to 48" x 96" (1220 x 2438 mm) and is offered in a wide variety of finishes and colors with profiles of 5 1/4" and 6 5/8". Single-sided, double-sided, wall-inset and outdoor models are available. Easy service and graphic access is provided by a flip-open side section in smaller units. The entire frame hinges forward in larger and recessed units. The unit shown is a successful P.O.P. program. Clearr Corporation, 3750 Williston Road, Minnetonka, MN 55345.


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