Virgin Megastore Times Square Creates 'Pop-Up' Rock Band 2 Store

Virgin Megastore Times Square Creates 'Pop-Up' Rock Band 2 Store

Lifestyle Entertainment Retailer Launches 550 Square Foot Store Dedicated to Rock Band 2 Special Edition Release

NEW YORK, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin Megastore Times Square has teamed with MTV Games to help celebrate the special edition release of the popular game Rock Band 2 by creating a pop-up store within a store. The cafe inside the Times Square Virgin Megastore has been transformed into a Rock Band 2 pop-up store, creating 550 feet of space housing a full selection of Rock Band merchandise, interactive kiosks and customized displays. This one of a kind pop-up shop carries a comprehensive selection of Rock Band 2 software, hardware, accessories and Rock Band fashion items. The store includes a mini-performance area where customers can try the game out for themselves. For a closer look at this pop-up store, click on these links to see photos:

http://flickr.com/photos/virginmegamashup/2944220377/http://flickr.com/photos/virginmegamashup/2944220327/http://flickr.com/photos/virginmegamashup/2945084120/

"The idea was for Virgin Megastores to create something special that would garner attention and showcase the special release of Rock Band 2 in a fun and interactive environment," explains Kevin Milligan, Vice President of Product, Virgin Entertainment Group. "We've been looking for ways to produce extraordinary displays for our partners and that's exactly what we've done here. We have utilized a huge part of our Times Square Megastore to help MTV promote the launch of a very popular game."

Virgin Megastores have been working with various partners to create unique pop-up store environments over the past several months. Prior to the Rock Band 2 display, Virgin Megastore Times Square developed a pop-up store for Warner's Bros. to help them celebrate 85 years in the movie-making business. More recently Virgin Megastores have also teamed with Signatures Network Inc. to help create Beatles Boutiques in all of the chain's U.S. stores. Launched in mid-October, Virgin Megastores offer a comprehensive collection of Beatles apparel, accessories, books, CDs and DVDs in specially designed mini-stores inside all the Virgin Megastores.

Virgin Megastores are launching the Rock Band 2 pop-up store at the Times Square location and will be rolling out similar smaller scale pop-up stores at select Virgin Megastores across the country, to coincide with the special edition release of Rock Band 2 October 19.

"No one can take a room and completely transform it into a hands-on shopping experience quite like we can. For Rock Band 2 we're working with great partners, like Visual Graphics Systems out of New York City, to help create a larger than life environment that is truly original and eye-catching," explains Chad Lavachek, Games, Movies and Electronics Marketing Manager, Virgin Entertainment Group. "VGS created one of the largest marketing banners we've ever used, as they installed a 18' x 44' backdrop to help us promote the Rock Band 2 pop-up environment."

ABOUT VIRGIN ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Virgin Entertainment Group is the world's leading multi-channel lifestyle entertainment retailer, providing customers with a range of superior entertainment experiences through a family of integrated Virgin-branded businesses. The "category killer" Virgin Megastores and Virgin Megastore Online at http://www.virginmega.com/ are integral parts of a strategy to provide entertainment customers with what they want, how they want it, and when they want it. For more information, or to check out the location of the nearest Virgin retail, go to http://www.virginmega.com/ or http://www.virginmegamashup.com/

Source: Virgin Entertainment Group

CONTACT: Krysty O'Quinn Ronchetti of SJ Communications,
+1-818-881-3889, Krysty@sjcommunications.com, for Virgin Entertainment Group

Web site: http://www.virginmega.com/
http://www.virginmegamashup.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: For high-resolution JPEG images of the Virgin Megastore Time Square Rock Band 2 Pop-Up Store, or to line up an interview, contact: SJ Communications, Krysty O'Quinn Ronchetti, 818-881-3889, Krysty@sjcommunications.com

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