Brands Go Bananas for 'Curious George' DVD!

Brands Go Bananas for 'Curious George' DVD!

Universal Studios Home Entertainment Announces Extensive Promotional Alliances as Partners See Benefits of Multi-Platform Promotional Campaigns

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Studios Home Entertainment today announced it has formed extensive marketing alliances with a select group of top family brands to promote the highly anticipated September 26, 2006 DVD release of animated family feature "Curious George."

Partnering with Universal to spread the news about the "Curious George" DVD are Dole Food Company(R), French's(R) Potato Sticks, Langers Juice(R), Little Debbie(R), Carvel(R), Cold-EEZE(R) and Parenting (R) magazine.

The studio's Universal Studios Partnerships division (USP) worked with the brands from the earliest stages of the film's development to identify marketing opportunities throughout the property's life cycle. In the case of Dole, that meant product placement within the "Curious George" film and videogame as well as cross-promotional campaigns for the theatrical and home entertainment releases.

"We pitch properties, not platforms," said Stephanie Sperber, Executive Vice President, Universal Studios Partnerships. "USP's unique structure allows us to work with corporate partners to find Universal properties that are appropriate for their brand. Only then do we begin discussing timing, execution and which window or windows offer them the greatest marketing value."

"In today's marketplace, an average 60% of consumers who purchase a DVD have not previously seen the film in theaters," said Ken Graffeo, Executive Vice President, Marketing for Universal Studios Home Entertainment. "In other words, because a brand is missing more than half of a property's audience if it only participates during the theatrical campaign, taking part in a DVD campaign ensures the greatest awareness."

Carvel, Cold-Eeze, Dole and Langers also participated in successful cross-promotional campaigns for "Curious George's" theatrical release.

"We are pleased to extend our partnership with Universal Pictures beyond the very successful debut of 'Curious George,'" said Craig Hall, Chief Operating Officer, Celebration Foods, maker of Carvel brand frozen desserts. "Families will truly be able to boost their celebrations with the DVD and these fine brands."

Universal has established itself as an industry leader in developing brand marketing alliances across multiple distribution platforms for its major entertainment properties. Over the past year, USP and its partners launched extremely successful cross-platform promotional campaigns for the hit features "King Kong" and "The Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift." Partnering on both the theatrical and DVD windows of "King Kong" were Kellogg's(R), Nestle(R), Toshiba(R) and Chase(R); multi-platform partners for "Tokyo Drift" partners included Castrol(R), Meguiar's(R) and Toyo Tires(R).

Highlights of the "Curious George" DVD partnerships include:

* Carvel will include discount coupons for the "Curious George" DVD in
500,000 ice cream cakes, promoting the offer in radio spots,
free-standing inserts and grocery store static clings. The brand also
appears in NAMCO's "Curious George" videogame.

* Cold-EEZE is advertising a national "Curious George" sweepstakes in the
October issue of Parenting magazine that offers a trip for four to a
Universal Studios Theme Park. Additionally, consumers who purchase two
Cold-EEZE products can send away for a "Curious George" backpack.

* Dole will affix "Curious George" stickers to 100 million bananas and
"Curious George" hangers on 4.5 million pineapples as well as
distributing 10,000 point-of-sale displays nationwide. Dole products
are featured in Namco's "Curious George" videogame and in the film
itself.

* French's Potato Sticks will distribute 2.8 million "Curious George"
themed packages as well as over 200,000 "Curious George" themed stickers
on French's Potato Sticks' single server 8 multi-pack boxes and promote
a national online sweepstakes for a consumer to win a trip to Universal
Studios Hollywood. Additionally, this offer will be promoted in a
national free-standing insert.

* Langers Juice will include "Curious George" labels on 2 million of its
juices and promote the film in free-standing inserts as well as online.

* Thirty million Little Debbie snack packages will offer a mail-in rebate
for the "Curious George" DVD, as well as a mail-in offer for themed
accessories.

* Parenting magazine will present a full-page advertorial in its October
issue featuring a "sneak peek" at the "Curious George"/Dole interactive
game that drives consumers online.

Universal Pictures' hit animated feature adaptation of H.A. and Margret Rey's beloved "Curious George" children's stories tells the heartwarming and hilarious tale of an incurably curious monkey and his human friend Ted. Featuring the voice talents of Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore, Eugene Levy, Dick Van Dyke, Joan Plowright and David Cross, "Curious George" is produced by Ron Howard and Imagine Entertainment.

On September 4, 2006, Imagine Entertainment, WGBH Boston and Universal Studios Family Productions brought "Curious George" to television as part of PBS KIDS' new hosted preschool destination. Narrated by Emmy-winning actor William H. Macy ("Seabiscuit," "Pleasantville"), the daily half-hour series is designed to inspire kids to explore science, math, and engineering in the world around them in a fun and entertaining way. Combining animated and live-action segments, the show expands George's world to include a host of colorful new characters and original locales, while maintaining the charm of the classic books.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates the No. 1 television network, the fastest-growing Spanish-language network, a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.

CONTACTS
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Vivian Mayer
Senior Vice President, Publicity
(818) 777-3594

Lea Porteneuve
Vice President, Publicity
(818) 777-1391

Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

CONTACT: Vivian Mayer, Senior Vice President, Publicity,
+1-818-777-3594, or Lea Porteneuve, Vice President, Publicity,
+1-818-777-1391, both of Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Web site: http://www.universalstudios.com/

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