Triple Bill

Continuing its retailer/distributor-focused marketing push, PolyGram Video last month launched an incentive program for its spring releases that ties Academy Award-nominated Elizabeth with two somewhat less-lauded titles, the black comedy Very Bad Things and Orgazmo.

The Spring Fling program offers accounts that surpass preset ordering levels by 40 percent or more additional units that can cut per-unit costs nearly in half to below $40. PolyGram’s goal is “to put a much larger quantity of titles on the consumer wall,” says senior vp-marketing Ken Graffeo.

Promotions involve a CD-ROM featuring trailers, outtakes, and cast biographies that will be mailed to more than 10,000 accounts. To make sure that retailers give a look, the disc ends with a film trivia game dangling $70,000 in prizes including DVD and CD players, TVs, VCRs, and boom boxes. New York City-based Media Designs International created the CD-ROM.

The three titles were linked together primarily to lend a hand to Orgazmo, a comedy from South Park creator Trey Parker following the escapades of a Mormon in the porn industry. “It had little awareness and was so controversial [after being slapped with an NC-17 rating],” Graffeo says.

PolyGram is negotiating with brand marketers for consumer promotional support, says Graffeo. “Of course, Elizabeth is a lot easier title [to push], so we’re moving forward with that one.”