Healthy Partners Prepped For Dr Doolittle 2 - product promotion licensing for motion picture 'Dr. Doolittle 2' - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Brandweek, June 4, 2001 by David Finnigan

20th Century Fox's Dr. Doolittle 2 has lined up Wal-Mart, Applebee's Val-Pak, Musicland, Petco, Ben & Jerry's American Greetings, Animal Planet and Nickelodeon for promotions light on media spending but heavy on natural partnership.

The 700 American Greetings-owned Carlton Cards mall stores (represented by Siren Marketing) will have in-store displays for a trip-to-Hollywood sweepstakes plus shelf-talkers, separate mall standees, nine online interactive Doolittle greeting cards plus AG's own line of animal cards. "A movie promotion in a card store. It's different' said Lisa Licht, Fox senior vp-feature film promotions and field operations.

Fox presented a promo package to Wal-Mart in which the original 1967 Dr. Doolittle and Eddie Murphy's 1998 remake would be reintroduced this summer for exclusive video sales, while Wal-Mart's own OI' Roy dog food got product placement in the sequel opening June 22, Fox got in-store signage and on-pack dog food stickers on 800,000 bags. Within two weeks, Doolittle buttons will be worn by Wal-Mart employees and the chain's greeters will hand out movie flyers. The promos will be touted in Wal-Mart's 75-million June circular.

From mid-June through August, the 1,300 Applebee's restaurants will offer four million collector cups plus activity books, said Julie Foster; Applebee's brand development director.

With mailings to 87 million North American homes, coupon giant Val-Pak is giving away prepremiere screening passes in 60 U.S. markets plus five Hollywood trip prizes and another 5,000 second-place Doolittle T-shirt/poster packs. Val-Pak also will do a Doolittle e-mail blast to 400,000 online customers plus local radio support for the 60-market screenings.

Product placement also includes Ben & Jerry's ice cream (represented by Creative Entertainment Services), which will offer free Cherry Garcia scoops for screenings in the top 10 markets. The Unilever ice cream unit's Web site also will have art and movie scenes with product placement, Fox said.

About 1,000 Musicland stores will run a June POP sweepstakes offering a trip to California's Yosemite National Park, with store signage and employees wearing movie lanyards. The Petco chain plans local promotions tying the screenings to local pet adoption, plus a June 10 pet fashion show in New York's Union Square, said Kelly Trudgen, Fox director of feature film promotions.

Programming pump-ups include some 58 Doolittle tie-in TV spots on the Animal Planet cable channel, which will run a two-hour stunt show on the film's June 22 debut night as part of its June 17-23 "Croc Week" starring Australian reptile handler Steve Irwin.

Viacom-owned Nickelodeon over two weeks will run 60-second interstitials starring Murphy "They are the only network that has Eddie Murphy at this stage," said Licht.