War on the Home Front

HOLLYWOOD When the dust settled from their holiday box office battle, there were two solid winners and one dud. Now A Bug’s Life, The Rugrats Movie and Babe: Pig in the City will compete again on home video this spring, and all three films have enlisted big-name promotional partners to boost their releases.

Universal Studios Home Video is looking to make a silk purse out of the box office dud Babe: Pig in the City by rolling out one of its biggest marketing efforts of the year to support the film’s May 4 release, and has signed on Van De Kamps’ Aunt Jemima Frozen Breakfast Products, Jel Sert Co., LifeSavers Co., and Sound Source Interactive to help with the blitz.

A full-page back-cover FSI running in 46 million newspapers on April 18 will offer one coupon for Aunt Jemima frozen pancakes, waffles, or French toast, and another for $2 off the video with two Aunt Jemima purchases. The video will carry an insert with a coupon and an offer for a Babe collectable self-liquidator.

Jel Sert is providing a $3 mail-in rebate with the purchase of the video and three packages of its Wyler’s or Flavor Aid powdered drinks or Flavor Ice popsicles. The offer will be made via two FSIs in May, in 4.5 million packages, as well as in the video.

LifeSavers will host a contest on its candystand.com Web site beginning in March. Sound Source will offer free Babe and Friends Early Reader CDs through a video insert.

Universal will break a $4 million TV and radio campaign in mid-April, and offer a $5 mail-rebate with the purchase of Babe: Pig in the City and one of eight other Universal videos (good through Aug. 8). In-store efforts include two-sided standees, merchandisers, pallet displays, posters, and buttons.

Although it earned critical acclaim, the Babe sequel earned a paltry $17 million domestically in its first nine weeks in release. The film “suffered some incredible competitive hits,” says USHV executive vp Bruce Pfander, referring to Walt Disney Co.’s A Bug’s Life ($149 million domestic gross), and Paramount’s The Rugrats Movie ($92 million domestically), both of which reached theaters a week earlier. “But 10 million people bought the [original] Babe video,” he says. “We feel we can generate a good business with this release.”

The video will have only a little more distance from its competitors than the theatrical release did: The Rugrats Movie invades stores March 30, while A Bug’s Life crawls in April 20.

Floor mat Rats? While Campbell Soup Co. and Mott’s Inc. are no slouches as far as promotional partners go, the presence of Lincoln Mercury adds a touch of class to Paramount Home Video’s efforts for The Rugrats Movie video release.

The Detroit-based division of Ford Motor Co. will support the animated film’s March 30 release with TV spots running March 15 through May 23, print ads in April issues of leading publications, and a 300,000-piece mail drop to customers. The video’s packaging will contain an instant-win, scratch-off gamepiece giving buyers a shot at a free Mercury Villager. Paramount will promote the sweeps through print ads, on-pack sticker bursts, and in-store displays.

Lincoln Mercury also tied into the theatrical release, and was very pleased with the results, says merchandising and promotions manager Laura Flores. “There was no reason not to continue the partnership,” she says. Efforts for the theatrical release included in-theater advertising and local events. “It gave us opportunities on the national, regional, and local levels,” she says.

Campbell Soup will slap a label burst touting the video’s release onto 24 million cans of soup beginning in April. Each label will also carry one of six 3-D scenes from The Rugrats Movie on its underside. A 30-million impression FSI running April 11, TV spots, and P-O-P displays will support.

Late this month, Mott’s launches an on-pack offer for The Rugrats Movie inflatable chair on 5 million product packages and a national FSI running March 28. Paramount will support with TV spots, print ads, and P-O-P materials, and an in-pack coupon booklet featuring $34 in savings on products from Campbell, Oral-B, Simon & Schuster, Broderbund, and Nickelodeon.

Cleaning up the Bugs Meanwhile, Buena Vista Home Entertainment rolls out one of the biggest video campaigns in Disney history with partners Lever 2000, Kid Cuisine, Sea & Ski, Activision, and sister Disney Interactive. The program includes national TV, print, and radio ads; standees, posters, and other P-O-P; and packaging that presents consumers with a choice of four characters.

Lever will offer a $5 mail-in rebate on the video with proofs-of-purchase from eight bars of soap or other products, and support via a 42-million piece FSI and in the video’s packaging. Sea & Ski dangles a $4 instant coupon for sunblock on-pack (retailers can opt for a mail-in version), and backs with print ads and P-O-P displays. Kid Cuisine inserts a mail-in premium offer ($1.75 S&H) and free tattoos in 10 million packages, and supports with 37 million FSIs.

Activision provides a $10 rebate for consumers who purchase the video and its own A Bug’s Life game for Nintendo 64.