Tie-ins: Surf's Up, And So Is Sony's Penguin Romp
Studio's second computer animated flick gets $100M-plus in support.
February 26, 2007
By Becky Ebenkamp
Riding the CGI wave, Sony Pictures Animation is gearing up about a dozen partners in its promotional pipeline for its sophomore effort, Surf's Up.
McDonald's, Old Navy, ConAgra Foods, Baskin-Robbins, Sea World and others are on board for an effort that will see more than $100 million in media spending to hype the film, which opens June 8 and follows the studio's maiden CGI, Open Season.
In its first deal with Sony after the end of its exclusive 10-year promotional partnership with Disney, McD's will give Surf's Up a heads-up with TV advertising, in-store signage and, of course, Happy Meal premiums. As the global QSR partner, Surf's Up will be promoted at 32,000 McDonald's locations in 119 countries.
Many partners will play off surf lingo in their executions. Baskin-Robbins will invite consumers to "Catch the Wave to Big Prizes" in two TV spots for a sweepstakes (prizes TBD) and a Surf's Up Splish Splash sherbet that resembles a blue and white wave. A B-R mobile tour also will screen the movie's scenes.
Aside from the obvious tie to family brands (McDonald's) and penguin pros (Sea World, which is branding its San Diego park's penguin exhibit with the film this summer), Sony sought hot and/or cold positioned partners to play into Surf's Up's range of weather locations: The film begins in arctic Shiverpool and washes up at the Polynesian Pen Gu Island. For instance, first-timer Kold To Go Bags will tap the Shiverpool imagery and characters on its insulated thermal bags used for transporting such grocery items as ice cream. "We're able to use the water and temperature and environment thematically in our partnerships," said Mary Goss Robino, svp-global marketing partnerships for Sony's Columbia TriStar Marketing. "Some partners played off the surf thematic, but we saw [additional] opportunities."
Many partnerships are new for Sony, and align with the studio's strategy of serving up nonplundered product categories, such as Wonder Bread for last summer's Talladega Nights.
"When this film came up, we thought this was adequately quirky for us—Old Navy is sort of a quirky brand in terms of personality," said Kristin Petersen, vp-brand exposure and promotions at Gap Inc. Old Navy will promote its Surf's Up relationship in shops, online and circulars, and also is a licensee (T-shirts and flip-flops for boys, girls and toddlers). Promotionally, it's the kitschy value chain's first partnership with a major studio flick.
Surf's Up, which chronicles how penguins invented the sport of surfing, has a mockumentary narrative in ode to such surfing docs as Riding Giants and Step Into Liquid, and diverse animation styles, such as faux grainy, B&W newsreel footage of seminal surfers "hanging six." Shia LaBeouf voices up-and-coming surfer Cody Maverick, the central character. Jon Heder, Zooey Deschanel and Jeff Bridges (as burnout beachcomber The Geek, roughly based on The Big Lebowski's "The Dude") round out the talent.
ConAgra is getting behind the wave with three of its brands—Act II popcorn, Crunch 'n Munch and Kid Cuisine—to get more shelf space and create retailer interest. Each product line will use movie art on packaging and direct shoppers to a virtual scratch-and-win game that will award 2,000 movie-themed prizes. Kid Cuisine will additionally develop two promotional Surf's Up SKUs of its meals, a mac n cheese featuring Cody and Chicken Joe pasta, and chicken nuggets pressed into seashell shapes. A pudding comes with sprinkles that change the color to sea blue.
"We try to make these meals as interactive as possible," said Lisa McAvoy, associate integrated marketing manager for ConAgra's Kid Cuisine and Marie Callender's frozen foods. "If it's fun and keeps the kids busy, mom is happy." The SKUs hit shelves in May and will be supported with advertising on kids TV, in-pack collector cards, store signage and FSIs.
Candy partner Airheads will launch a New Wave flavor and support it on TV, the Web, in stores, and on and in-pack, while the National Frozen and Refrigerated Assn. will use Surf's Up characters to promote its June Dairy Month at retail.
Grocery chains such as Safeway (1,600 stores) will feature key art on bags and offer free movie tickets with a minimum store purchase. The promo runs through June and July and will be touted at retail, online and via circulars. While that promo has a seasonal window, many partners are expected to follow through to the DVD release.
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