Marveling At Success: ABC’s NBA Promos Get Super Makeover

NBA Tying Film Release Into Finals

ABC will dub the four games needed to win the NBA Finals “The Fantastic Four,” as “part of a joint NBA and 20th Century Fox promotion behind” the feature film of the same name slated for release July 4, according to Andy Bernstein of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. ABC will air commercials that mix highlights from playoff series with scenes from the film. Activation begins this week with a series of “I Love This Game” ads produced by NBAE, in which the four Marvel Comic superheroes depicted in the film play basketball against Basketball HOFer Magic Johnson. ESPN/ABC Sports President of Customer Marketing & Sales Ed Erhardt described the deal as involving “co-promotional spots” and “significant unit loads.” Bernstein notes similar arrangements also “generally involve marketing fees paid to the league” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/2 issue).

MORE COWBELL: BRANDWEEK’s Becky Ebenkamp reports Champs Sports, Fast Fixin’, Johnsonville Sausage and Entertainment Weekly will promote around Universal Pictures’ May 13 release of “Kicking & Screaming,” starring Will Ferrell. Champs will hand out movie tickets at 542 stores as a gift with purchase and will support with e-mail blasts to Champsports.com VIP members. Universal will tag Champs in newspaper ads. Fast Fixin’ will run a promotion on three million packages of its frozen meals, and Johnsonville will have a 12-market radio promotion. Entertainment Weekly will offer tickets to advance screenings, while Beckett’s Got Sports for Kids magazine will support the DVD release with a contest offering autographed soccer balls from the movie and DVDs (BRANDWEEK, 5/2 issue).