Summit positions Knowing to pull Push

PHYSICAL: July 7 releases will be merchandised, advertised together

By Susanne Ault -- Video Business, 6/15/2009

JUNE 15 | PHYSICAL: Summit Home Entertainment is marketing July 7 DVD/Blu-ray Disc releases Knowing and Push together through a joint rebate program and TV advertising, hoping to boost the titles’ chances of success in the tough economic environment.

Consumers who buy both titles can get $5 back by mail.

All Knowing TV spots will include messaging promoting Push. Similarly, Push ads will feature tags back to Knowing. There also is a planned hybrid spot featuring both films equally.

Starring big box-office draw Nicolas Cage, Knowing generated about $80 million in U.S. grosses and is poised to be powerful on store shelves on its own. Push, with fewer name actors, made a more modest $32 million. To ensure both do well with today’s budget-conscious consumer, Summit positioned the titles to support each other in sales.

The titles’ overlapping action themes should sync up well with special-effects fans, executives said. And one shouldn’t cannibalize the other, as Knowing skews broader and a little older than young male-geared Push.

“This is a way for us to get both of these titles more awareness,” said T.J. Moffett, senior VP of marketing for home entertainment at Summit. “This should motivate more people to get to the store overall. If it was just Push or Knowing, that is OK. But now that it’s a couple of titles, you’re getting more people going to retail.”

Summit had previous success by slotting its July 29, 2008, release Never Back Down on the same day that Universal Studios Home Entertainment slated action film Doomsday.

Beyond enhancing consumer reach, Summit thinks double-slotting is attractive for retail.

“When you can give them some hook, and titles can go together, there is added benefit,” said Moffett. “There is corrugate at Wal-Mart. An endcap at Target. Retailers like this because they get a bigger impact [with titles together].”