Seeing Green

Edina, Minn. -- Next month, another classic superhero will invade movie theaters nationwide. Universal Studios and Marvel Entertainment are bringing "The Incredible Hulk" comic to consumers in the form of a mean, green summer blockbuster. As part of a multimillion dollar marketing campaign supporting the film "The Hulk," ConAgra Foods Snack Foods Group is partnering with the entertainment companies to bring a variety of hulk-size promotions in-store.Three of ConAgra's snack brands are going into stores this month with product transformations, new packaging and P-O-P to support the initiative. According to Tina Larson, promotions manager, "The Hulk character is recognizable and popular among our target consumers [12- to 24-year-olds], and given the Hulk's sheer size, power and energy, we felt the movie tie-in was a perfect match for ConAgra snacks."Marketing teams for ConAgra's Pemmican, Slim Jim and David Sunflower Seeds brands have built custom national consumer sweepstakes that target each brand's specific objectives. In 2001, Slim Jim was a promotional partner with Universal's "American Pie 2" movie and because of its success, Larson says the company saw a great opportunity to be a part of "The Hulk" campaign. "Movies are a top entertainment activity among our target consumers, and a valuable opportunity for retailers to bring the excitement of a movie property in-store."The Slim Jim promotion features the launch of The Hulk-Sized Stick -- the longest Slim Jim stick on the market -- measuring 15 inches in height. Slim Jim is also offering special glow-in-the-dark Hulk-size canisters with two free Sticks inside. The Hulk-Sized Stick features green Hulk graphics on its packages and displays. A 48-count countertop unit and a 144-count dumpbin are being offered to retailers. The Sticks come in Original, Mild or Jerky flavors and are showcased on a half-pallet display and a 48-count canister shipper. Additional displays for this brand include a Giant Slim dump bin, a 2 for $1 gravity feed unit, a 48-count Giant Slim countertop unit, a Slim Jim Hulk-Sized Stick and Pemmican cross promotional power wing, a 144-count handipak shipper and a 36-count Snaps dump bin with special Hulk graphics on every pack.Slim Jim's "Win a Hulk 'Wreck' Room" consumer sweep-stakes is prominently displayed on each of the P-O-P pieces. One grand prize winner will receive a big-screen TV, all of his or her favorite video game consoles, video games from Universal Interactive, the ultimate Catnapper recliner with a built-in fridge and $1,000 to paint the place green. The Pemmican packages and displays feature a Hulk gym sweepstakes offer. All 4-ounce Natural Style Beef Jerky pouches have 30% more beef jerky free, for a total of 5.2-ounces. The displays for the Pemmican brand carry Hulk graphics and the sweepstakes offer. There are 24-count and 48-count power wing shippers, a 24-count stackable display case, and half- and full-pallet displays for both the Natural Style Beef Jerky and the 4-ounce Long Lasting Style Beef Jerky.Pemmican is inviting health-conscious consumers to "Hulk up" at home and "Win a Personal Gym" through its consumer sweepstakes. The grand prize includes a personal home gym. One hundred other winners will receive Hulk workout wear. This brand's target market is a slightly older 18- to 34-year-old consumer. Bold, green Hulk graphics and power-packed Honda vehicles are featured on David Seeds packaging and displays. On-pack units touting the program include 5.75-ounce and 16-ounce David Original In-Shell Sunflower Seeds, 8.5-ounce David Sunflower Kernels and 5-ounce David Pumpkin Seeds. For merchandisers, the company has designed several shippers.David Seeds is asking consumers to find the mutant green gamma-radiation game piece in select packages to "Win a Revved Up Hulk Power Pack." The grand prize winner will receive a Honda motorcycle, ATV and personal watercraft.The bright green graphics on all of the displays are playing a key role in calling attention to the program in convenience stores, supermarkets, drugstores, mass merchants and club stores nationwide. Although the company did not provide actual numbers of displays produced, Larson says the program will generate millions of display and film impressions. The promotion is intended to remain in stores for two months. Einson Freeman Inc., Paramus, N.J., was the promotions agency for the program. Vision Vault Inc., Raleigh, N.C., provided the creative and Litho Industries Inc., Durham, N.C., was the printer. Pechiney Plastic Packaging, Chicago, and Smurfit-Stone Container Corp., Carol Stream, Ill., both provided packaging work, while Alliance, a Rock-Tenn Co., Winston-Salem, N.C., handled both packaging and displays. The units are mostly corrugated and range in size from a 5-inch by 5-inch footprint for a countertop unit to a 19-inch wide by 26-inch deep footprint for a floor shipper as well as the half- and full-pallet displays. Larson says the snack foods group, which is a division of ConAgra Foods Inc., Omaha, Neb., received pre-approved images from Universal to work with and there were no major challenges during the creation of the program. "They were also very receptive to our own creative ideas and development," she says.The displays and shippers are shipped in cases and are easy to assemble for retailers. "We have received positive feedback from our retailers because it is an exciting and eye-catching promotion," Larson says. "Everyone is expecting the promotion to be a hit."

Seeing Green

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