Best Buy to Distrubte Free Sin City Promotional DVDs

Archive

Starting March 27, Best Buy will give out free DVDs promoting the April 1 theatrical release of Sin City. Consumers will be able to get the teaser DVDs, which contain a trailer, behind-the-scenes interviews and scenes from the film, with the purchase of any CD, DVD or videogame. Also included are promos for Dimension movies currently on DVD and $50 worth of Best Buy coupons toward purchases of those titles. The giveaway will be featured prominently in the March 27 circular.

Best Buy first tried this type of theatrical cross-promotion with last March’s Hellboy, giving out more than 300,000 teaser DVDs in the few weeks before the movie’s premiere. On Sin City, the giveaway window is only a week long, so Best Buy will give out about 150,000 discs this time, according to Rob Cummins, business team leader for movies.

“We identified properties like Hellboy and now Sin City quite a ways out, and our goal is to give our customers something that … will put them in the know amongst their peer group about what’s cool and exciting,” Cummins said. This sort of theatrical marketing rewards customers for coming into the store regularly and builds loyalty, he added.

There’s also an upside for the studios involved.

“The theatrical division sees it as a grassroots opportunity to promote their movie beyond just what they’ll do on TV, and home video sees it as a chance to probably sell some catalog,” Cummins said.

Credit: DVDExclusive.com **Special thanks to Travis Leamons**