It Takes a Villager to Raise a Rugrat

Nickelodeon’s Emmy Award-winning Rugrats animated series hits the big screen this Thanksgiving and the 1999 Mercury Villager is set to help it get around town, thanks to a major new marketing campaign.

The 1999 Mercury Villager, unveiled at Lincoln Mercury’s new Irvine, CA, headquarters, will prove the centerpiece of a major tie-in campaign.

“This is not going to be a typical promotion,” says John Csernotta, Lincoln-Mercury merchandising and promotions coordinator. Instead, the movie will help market the vehicle using in-theater promotions, television spots, magazine ads, Internet and other tie-ins involving 2,600 Mercury dealers throughout the U.S.

Lisa DiMarzio, vp of promotions for Paramount Pictures, says the Villager “fits perfectly with the active and diverse lifestyles of consumers who follow the television series and will see the movie” and that the three-way partnership will bring “new dimensions to tie-ins for animated entertainment.”