Got an exclusive marketing agreement?
The Coca-Cola Co. does, and its deals with several of the major movie theater chains mean that you won’t be seeing many theaters ads asking if you’ve “Got Milk?”
The soft drink giant is using its sugar-powered muscle to put a damper on the silver screen debut of the California Milk Processor Board’s familiar theme, which first appeared on TV in 1995.
The board had planned a major rollout of the two-minute shorts until the Coke folks got wind of the plan and invoked the blackout clause in its ad pacts with National CineMedia LLC, which includes the giant Edwards and Regal theater chains.
Not all of the venues will be kiboshed. A two-minute short titled “Homecoming” featuring aliens enthralled with Earth’s “wonder tonic” will debut on movie screens in L.A. and throughout the state over the Thanksgiving weekend. That’s traditionally one of the biggest weeks of the year in terms of box office, but the debut will be much smaller in scale than the board had hoped. The short will appear on 600 screens rather than the 1,700 originally planned, dropping the amount of the ad purchase from $566,000 to $233,000.
Coca-Cola officials did not return calls on the issue and National CineMedia executives said they couldn’t comment because of their pending IPO. Board officials tried to tread lightly, but one rep called Coke’s move “outrageous” and it’s clear they are disappointed.
“This campaign represents a big departure for us on many fronts,” said Steve James, Chairman of the California Milk Processor Board. “It’s both a creative and distribution risk. But it’s imperative we find new ways to coax people out of their complacency about milk and do so in way where they can’t change the channel.”
Coca Cola may have reason for concern. Soft drink sales are down this year for the first time in two decades, and have been targeted by a number of health campaigns, including efforts to ban soda sales on California school campuses.
Plugged-In Pug
Some would suggest that at 44 years of age, former heavyweight boxing champ Evander Holyfield is a relic.
That might be true, but don’t say the fighter once known as “The Real Deal” isn’t digitally wired.
His Nov. 10 bout against Fres Oquendo in San Antonio will be available on a pay-per-view basis not only on TV via Fox Sports Net’s pay per view arm, Special Order Sports, but also online over FoxSports.com. The cost to order the fight is the same on both platforms $44.95.
“If someone is in his office and doesn’t have access to a television, he’ll still be able to see the fight,” said Fox Sports Net President Bob Thompson. “In the future, the consumer will be able to watch on a mobile phone or a wireless device. ”
Craig Janoff, a 10-time Emmy winner and former Olympian, will direct the fight; and Rick Kulis is promoting it.
AEG Loading Up
Phil Anschutz’s L.A.-based sports and entertainment powerhouse Anschutz Entertainment Group is positioning itself to take full advantage of the opening of L.A. Live, AEG’s $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports and entertainment development set to open within a year.
AEG has acquired Ken Ehrlich Productions and will form a joint venture, AEG Ehrlich Ventures LLC, with the company’s founder.
Ehrlich is a prolific producer of music-related programming including the Grammy Awards, the 2006 Emmy Awards show, the “Divas” series for VH1and the recent Philadelphia show for the LIVE8 concert. AEG has to be thinking that any of those events would be a good fit for its Nokia Theater, a 7,200-seat live venue next to Nokia Plaza, a one-acre open air plaza capable of hosting special events, community gatherings, cultural festivals and live performances.
In that same vein, AEG earlier this year acquired special events and entertainment producer Bounce Event Marketing and a 49 percent stake in events promoter and talent agency Marshall Arts.
Staff reporter Anne Riley-Katz can be reached at (323) 549-5225, ext. 225, or at
[email protected]
