Lions Gate, Starbucks Remind You How to Spell Akeelah
The promotions leading up to the April 28th opening of Lions Gate’s film “Akeelah and the Bee” may seem somewhat tame, but Lions Gate has roped in a big player to promote the film online and off: Starbucks. For this inspirational film about an inner-city girl who competes in the national spelling bee, Lions Gate has created an engaging microsite for the film where Flash animation seamlessly floats from one image to the next. The site offers movie goers the chance to play games, view the trailer, hear the soundtrack, and send e-cards to their friends with a specific spelling word on it. The Akeelah landing page also includes a special section, http://www.beeconnected.us/, where fans can share their experiences about participating in a spelling bee, seeing the film, or subscribe to the film’s blog.
And stamped at the bottom of the site pages is the Starbucks Entertainment logo.
Although Lions Gate’s online campaign for “Akeelah” may not appear as ambitious as New Line’s “Take the Lead” campaign that I covered a couple of weeks ago, Starbucks has been promoting the film like crazy in its retail stores with a small mention on its website. All promotional items in the store–including coasters, cup holders, and stickers plastered all over the windows–drive traffic to Starbucks’ page by “changing the world one word at a time” and enticing coffee drinkers to view the trailer and listen to the soundtrack via Starbuck’s site.
The page on Starbucks’ site is simple, but perhaps too much so. I wonder how much traffic the page actually drives to the “Akeelah” site and whether Starbucks customers have taken the time to visit either of the sites to check out the movie. I am guessing the online Starbucks cross-promotion has not paid off, while the in-store promotion and pre-screening for baristas will do wonders at the box office. Starbucks also sells the film’s soundtrack and will distribute the DVD when it is released.
One must not ignore the “warm and fuzzy” image that Starbucks also receives through its association with such a wholesome film. Starbucks’ page promotes the film with the statement, “Akeelah and the Bee is a story that reflects the values of creativity, community, hope and perseverance which we at Starbucks hold dear. We encourage you to see this truly worthwhile film with your family and friends.” So even if “Akeelah” doesn’t hit a home run with its online marketing, at least Lions Gate has gotten the word out through the king of the coffee world.
Spell “Campaign” at: http://www.akeelahandthebee.com/splash.html
Reader Comments.
No comments yet
Leave a Comment
Article Sponsor
More Features
-
Loading ...
Latest News
- BlueKai Report Explains DMPs to Publishers February 10th 2012 ADOTAS - BlueKai released a report this week on the [...] more »
- Funding in Brief: $10M for Spongecell, $8M for Prolexic February 9th 2012 ADOTAS – Rich media ad company Spongecell has raised $10 million [...] more »
- Google AdMob Axes Minimum Bids, Targeting Fees February 9th 2012 ADOTAS - As of Feb. 15, Google will change its [...] more »
- Infographic: HootSuite Analyses Social Media Impact of Super Bowl Ads February 7th 2012 ADOTAS - So, it’s the Tuesday after the Super Bowl, [...] more »
- Facebook to Serve Mobile Ads in Coming Weeks February 6th 2012 ADOTAS – According to a Financial Times report, Facebook will [...] more »
- Survey: 39 Percent of Mobile Users Responded to Super Bowl Ads Via Mobile February 6th 2012 ADOTAS - During the Super Bowl yesterday, mobile ad network [...] more »
- Sponsormob Leads the Way Into RTB for Mobile February 3rd 2012 ADOTAS – For more than half a decade, Berlin-based tech [...] more »
Features
- BlueKai Report Explains DMPs to Publishers February 10th 2012
- Attribution Online: Introducers and Influencers and Closers… Oh My! February 9th 2012
- With gTLDs, Global Branding Starts with a Name February 9th 2012
- Rethinking the Online Advertising Ecosystem, Part One: Independent Publishers February 8th 2012
- Case Study: Social Ad Effectiveness February 8th 2012
Spotlight
Sponsormob Leads the Way Into RTB for MobileADOTAS – For more than half a decade, Berlin-based tech firm Sponsormob has remained relevant in an industry characterized by [...] more...
Reader Favorites
Classifieds
- PS Technical Writer - SEO Data Analyst
- Interactive Project Manager
- Media Buyer
- PHP Software Engineer (Facebook Platform/Social AP
- SEO/Marketing Internship at Green Education Startu
Recent Comments
- HootSuite Social Media Management » More Apps, Open API, and the Solution Partner Program ~ News Roundup: [...] mentioned in our HootSuite’s Super Bowl XLVI Social Media Recap, adotas and MediaPost analyzed our
- News about Google Adwords issue #412: [...] ads for AdWords to adCenter and align with industry standards, adCenter has chang
- VB: What exactly makes an ad "high quality"?
- Survey: 39 Percent of Mobile Users Responded to Super Bowl Ads Via Mobile - ADOTAS | Mobile2 | Scoop.it: [...] background-position: 50% 0px; background-color:#222222; background-repeat : no-repeat; }
