Fox uses innovative cross promos to plug ‘Garfield’

MUMBAI: Increasingly promotions and marketing activities for Hollywood films go beyond just the traditional TVCs and print ads. A case in point is Rupert Murdoch’s 20th Century Fox.

The studio has lined up a litter of retail and in-theatre promotional partners as well as innovative campaigns for the studio’s film Garfield in the US. The movie with the lazy cat opens in the US on 11 June. The syndicated cartoon strip Garfield is read in 2600 newspapers by 260 million readers around the world.
 
 

Fox issued a release stating that it has tied up with several American FMCG companies. One of them Pepperidge Farm will promote the film on packages of its Flavour Blasted Goldfish and Cheddar Goldfish crackers. In addition the company will also sell Garfield-shaped crackers in Goldfish packages.

The premium bakery and snack foods company’s promotion for the film has the tag line The Official Snack of Cool Cats. This marks Pepperidge Farm’s first-ever tie-in with a motion picture. The programme encompasses an on-pack promotion, in-store point-of-sale displays, website features, and a television campaign.

The retail promotional partners include Wal-Mart, the video store chain Blockbuster. Like Stuart Little Garfield too will be mix of live action and CGI. The film will see Oscar nominee Bill Murray Lost In Translation voicing the title character. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Stephen Tobolowsky star in the film.