ONE OF THE year’s most anticipated superhero movies has partnered with a local telecommunications company to broaden the user experience from beyond the silver screen “to their fingertips,” said a company press release.
Warner Bros. Pictures is collaborating with Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) to promote the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The picture, set to open on March 25, will not only pit two of the most famous heroes from the pages of DC Comics but will also set the stage for the eventual arrival of the whole Justice League.
Smart will then be offering mobile content “such as videos and interactive online challenges” at a dedicated portal (www.smart.com/batmanvsuperman).
“This is the start of something which will hopefully be bigger, deeper through the years… I felt [Warner] had content that can complement what Smart wants to be as a brand. So no, this is not a one-time thing,” Isaias Ariel P. Fermin, Smart executive vice-president and consumer business head, told BusinessWorld shortly after an event on Feb. 15 in Mandaluyong City.
Several Smart stores will also be decked out in anticipation of the film, starting with the Jump flagship store in SM Megamall, Mandaluyong.
“It’s really easy to merchandise [the film]; just put a poster, and it’s done. But for us, it wasn’t just about that — we want to tell the story in a way that’s right,” Mr. Fermin said.
He noted that not all stores will have the breadth of the displays at the flagship store “because the marketplace is tiered.”
The partnership also allows Smart to pick out six exclusive merchandise items to feature — and sell — in the stores, though Mr. Fermin did not say which items they will be.
Smart will also be giving its subscribers a chance “to live like heroes” via all-expense paid trips to either Japan or Hong Kong, depending on which side they are on: Japan for Superman and Hong Kong for Batman.
The promo will be for customers who register for Big Bytes 50, a three-day mobile internet package that includes 350 megabytes for surfing and games and 500 MB for video-sharing apps/sites like YouTube. Premium items and special movie passes are also up for grabs via the offer.
Mr. Fermin said that while the partnership is a first for both Warner Bros. and Smart, it won’t certainly be the last; there is hope it will continue with other Warner Bros./DC Comics properties.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star group, which it controls. — Zsarlene B. Chua
