The Biz: Would You Believe? Subway, Sierra Mist, A-B To Get Smart
Brandweek
April 28, 2008
MAXWELL SMART may
be fighting Kaos for world domination, but it's
Hollywood studios that will be locked in a battle for
moviegoers' attention during the upcoming summer season.
Warner Bros. will be squarely in the middle of the fray,
releasing the film version of the cheeky '60s hit TV
show Get Smart on June 20. The promotions team has
enlisted PepsiCo's Sierra Mist, Subway, Swiss Army,
Vespa, QVC and Anheuser-Busch to help the comedy win the
box office war.
"We went for quality as opposed to quantity," said Gene
Garlock, the studio's new svp-worldwide promotions. "The
object is to build buzz and use other people's money to
help supplement and boost our own marketing budget."
The action comedy, starring Steve Carell and Anne
Hathaway, launches into a season packed with tentpoles
and event films like Iron Man, Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Incredible Hulk,
which, collectively, have dozens of corporate partners
like Burger King, Mars, 7-Eleven, Audi and LG Mobile.
Warner Bros.' own Speed Racer has McDonald's, General
Mills, Target, Esurance and Mattel, among others.
Opening opposite Get Smart is the buzzed about Mike
Myers comedy, The Love Guru. But unlike an earlier Myers
franchise, Austin Powers, Get Smart is not a parody, but
is intended to be an homage to the Cold War-set TV show,
with Bill Murray playing Agent 13, the spy from the
series who pops up in the most unlikely places. Hathaway
has said in interviews that filmmakers were shooting for
a Bourne Identity with some goofball elements.
Sierra Mist, playing off the secret agent theme, plans a
limited time custom flavor called "Undercover Orange."
The teen- and young adult-targeted product is clear,
like water, but tastes like soda.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will star in the TV spots as
his character, Agent 23. A retro-cool silhouette of the
movie's stars will appear on the drink labels and
packaging. The Pepsi brand has created extensive
in-store materials and spy-centric consumer offers
around the theme.
Subway has sly but pivotal product placement in the film
as Smart sheds some pounds to become a superspy. One of
his tools: Subway sandwiches. The chain will use, "Get
Smart, Eat Fresh," as the promo tagline. "It's the
perfect extension of our message," said Tony Pace, CMO.
"His weight loss is part of the backstory, and that
worked out very well for us."
TV ads will feature clips and custom foot-age that point
to secret codes on drink cups, an online game and a
sweeps that gives away Smart's convertible Sunbeam
Tiger.
Swiss Army has a film cameo, with Carell's Agent 86
getting a tricked-out flame-throwing Swiss Army knife as
an essential gadget on his first mission. Swiss Army
will promote the movie at various retailers and in
print. Anheuser-Busch is backing screenings of the movie
and Vespa will launch a consumer contest.
Worldwide, there are some 30 partners for the comedy,
which has traction from its TV history in some
English-speaking territories but was pitched by the
studio as a stand-alone action feature in places where
it's not entrenched.
The studio recently launched a YouTube promotion
centered on the iconic, now ironic, shoe phone, dubbed
"Shoe Phones Across America." People can submit videos
of them using a shoe as a phone, with their own dialogue
or some from the old TV series. Funniest entry gets to
go to the Hollywood premiere. feedback@brandweek.com