Paramount delivers media blitz for Transformers DVD, HD DVD

By Ned Randolph -- Video Business, 9/5/2007

SEPT. 5 | After earning $306 million in theaters, Transformers will appear on DVD and HD DVD Oct. 16 backed by a media campaign that Paramount Home Entertainment says is one the biggest in the division’s history.

The multi-million-dollar blitz will include TV, print, radio and online advertising. Plus, through a viral marketing program, fans will be able to customize a message for their friends from Optimus Prime sent via telephone or e-mail.

An array of high-impact displays will be deployed to retail locations across the country. Promotional partners including Chevrolet and Hostess also will extend the reach of the Transformers message to millions of people.

The standard-definition version will bow in single-disc and two-disc sets. The two-disc Special Edition provides an arsenal of bonus material, including commentary by director Michael Bay. Two multi-part in-depth documentaries, “Our World” and “Their War,” explore the human elements of the film as well as the robot stars. They include producer Steven Spielberg discussing his early concept for the movie, extensive casting and training and real-world weapons provided by the military.

The HD DVD presentation includes Web-enabled features, such as an “Intelligence Mode” on-screen dashboard, which plays over the film and provides information about the robots and weapons, and a GPS locator. The HD DVD version also will include Transformers H.U.D. (Heads Up Display), which runs text commentary with the film and plays relevant behind-the-scenes footage in picture-in-picture.

The HD DVD version and two-disc standard-def special edition will both be priced at $39.99, with the standard-def single-disc at $19.95 MAP.