Sony lines up giant Spider-Man 3 campaign

Digital ads, high-def cross-promotion among plans

By Marcy Magiera -- Video Business, 9/17/2007

SEPT. 17 | Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and its promotional partners will spin one of the industry’s largest marketing webs for the Oct. 30 release of Spider-Man 3 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, including an unusually high commitment to digital marketing and cross-promotion with high-def hardware.

“Spider-Man 3 is the top grossing film of 2007, and the campaign will reflect its importance,” said Lexine Wong, SPHE senior executive VP of worldwide marketing. “Besides having a higher profile because of its box-office clout, we have also expanded the media reach with the plethora of digital and nontraditional media opportunities that are available.”

The studio said it expects to generate 8.5 billion impressions through its own advertising and tie-ins with Papa John’s pizza (a $3 coupon on 10 million pizza boxes and TV, radio print and online ads); Pringles Potato Crisps ($5 mail-in rebate promoted on 3 million packages); Jolly Time Pop Corn ($10 rebate promoted on 3 million packages and in print ads); and Nutella (Spidey collectible in more than 1 million jars, supported by print ads).

A high number of impressions are likely to come from digital ads. The studio is spending 15% to 25% of its marketing budget on digital, said Jennifer Anderson, VP of marketing. (Internet ads are priced lower than traditional media advertising and can therefore deliver many more impressions per dollar spent.) Partner Papa John’s also will support the release with a mobile and digital campaign including text messaging.

Anderson said the studio will run three separate consumer sweepstakes, including one that consumers access by clicking on an online ad to be taken to a sweepstakes where they spin to win a prize from Sony or one of its promotional partners or licensees.

The Spider-Man 3 release also is being incorporated into Sony Electronics’ “HDNA” ad campaign for its high-definition products. The film is featured in national outdoor and newspaper advertising, both on TV screens and with specific promotion of the title on Blu-ray disc.

Wong said she believes it is the home entertainment industry’s most integrated hardware-software campaign to date.