Super Heroes Fly Into Stores in Milk Promo

Have you ever seen Superman with a milk mustache? You will this month. The DC Comics super hero has joined forces with the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board, Washington, D.C., and Dairy Management Inc., Rosemont, Ill., for a multi-faceted consumer-targeted promotion with a P-O-P display, print ads, a sweepstakes program, and a custom comic book publishing program.More than 15,000 supermarkets across the country will be featuring a Superman display that announces the promotion and sweepstakes program, which offers a free DC Super Heroes magazine when consumers buy two gallons of milk."It's a wonderful opportunity to create some excitement in the refrigerated aisle of the supermarket," says Joel Ehrlich, senior vice president of DC Comics and Warner Bros. Consumer Products, New York. "We hope it will motivate consumers to pick up that extra gallon of milk because you have to buy two gallons to get this magazine, worth $3.95." Included in its overwrap are coupons worth more than $100.Targeted for kids between the ages of five and 11, the magazine, titled Adventures with the DC Super Heroes, was created just for this program. "We actually came up with the idea here at DC Comics of creating this custom magazine that could go out to kids and use our characters with these fabulous articles and games," explains Ehrlich.While only one display was created to promote the offer in-store, Ehrlich says that one will be enough. "We feel that mom or dad is going to be in the refrigerated aisle anyway because it is the most heavily trafficked aisle in most supermarkets. This display is 6 feet tall," he says. "Something as compelling as Superman flying at you is going to stop everyone. We have the retailers cooperating because they want it to be successful. We have the traffic. The offer is extremely compelling. What else do you need?"It doesn't take a lot to get in on the offer, Ehrlich adds, but both the parent and child will get a lot just for buying an extra gallon of milk. "As soon as mom takes the magazine to the register, she gets it free and she gets the $100 in coupons," he says. "The kid gets the magazine and then the entire family has a chance to win fantasy prizes by entering with either a form from a tearpad on the display or online."There are six coupons on the magazine that Ehrlich says tie in thematically with the super heroes or the companies that DC Comics works with. The coupons offer a $5 rebate off the purchase of any Batman or Superman home video; a free night in a Best Western with the purchase of two nights in that hotel; $2 off any Batman or Superman toy purchase from Hasbro; $1 off any purchase of Fruit of the Loom Underoos or briefs; 10% off the purchase of any products at a Warner Brothers Studio store; and $15 off a personalized book that intertwines any child's name and personal information with a super hero adventure.The three ultimate sweepstakes fantasy prizes will send a family of four to New York to live the life of Superman, to Los Angeles to live the life of Batman, or to a Sandals Beaches Resort to live the life of Wonder Woman. The sweepstakes also includes thousands of other prizes.DC Comics worked with Bozell New York to create the program. The Source Information Management Co., Upper Saddle River, N.J., signed on the participating supermarkets and distributed the magazines and displays. "They put the displays up and make sure they are stocked," says Ehrlich. "The displays are prepacked with 200 magazines. We think we'll sell down in a couple of days and then the display goes out."The corrugated display was manufactured by Ivy Hill/Warner Media Services, New York.

Super Heroes Fly Into Stores in Milk Promo

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