Universal Pictures set up an expansive tie-in promotion with Skyy vodka for off-beat horror film “Nope” that includes out-of-home marketing, whipping up interest on social media, a sweepstakes and experiential activations.
The R-rated “Nope” is scheduled for “in theaters only” domestic premiere July 22. Its R-rating limits promotional partners since voluntary audience classification specifies that ages under 17 must be accompanied by a guardian, so no kids breakfast meals, for example.
The vodka brand’s name is a sly double entendre for the movie about residents of an isolated desert community coping with a mysterious malevolent force in sky (lots of horrified characters are pictured in awe gazing upward). It’s from filmmaker Jordan Peele, who made low-budget sleeper “Get Out” in 2017 that grossed $176 million in domestic boxoffice.
“Nope” got a multimillion-dollar commercial in the Super Bowl game in February. That’s a big spend for a film that reportedly cost $40 million to make, which is about half the cost of a typical major-studio release.
“Jordan Peele’s ‘Nope’ will be lifting audiences’ eyes toward the sky all summer, so we knew this major summer event film was the perfect partnership opportunity for SKYY Vodka,” said Sean Yelle, senior category marketing director, white spirits, at Campari America, in a press release. Skyy is a brand of Campari, the €2.2 billion annual revenue liquor giant headquartered in Italy.
Elements of the tie-in promotion running through Aug. 16 include:
* “Retail displays revealing the film’s ominous iconography will be installed across the U.S., highlighting a SKYY sweepstakes,” says the press release, “where fans can text SKYYFRESH to 24272 for a chance to win tickets to see ‘Nope’ in theaters.”
* A “Nope” x SKYY cocktail called “the Cos-NOPE-olitan” says press release. “Created as an unexpected twist on the classic Cosmopolitan, the Cos-NOPE-olitan is complete with Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge, a cotton candy cloud and garnished with gold flakes. When watching Nope, be sure to enjoy SKYY Vodka responsibly.”
* The campaign is built around this marketing messaging: “A fresh new film from Jordan Peele. A fresher tasting vodka from Skyy.”
* Where feasible, in-theater promotion/activations tied to “Nope.” At Alamo Draft House, the dine-in movie theater chain said it offers “egg BLT, French toast, or breakfast tacos – and pair with a brunch cocktail classic like Desert Spring Water or the Italian 75. Each are available to order along with our full menu at this special brunch screening.” The Southwestern meal ties into the movie set in an American desert town.
The movie’s distributor, Universal Pictures, pushed many promotions. There’s a free “Nope” experience via Facebook’s Horizon Worlds app on the Quest 2 virtual-reality headset. “Nope” is getting a big marketing push because Universal bought a Super Bowl advertisement in February for the creepy thriller; in-game Super Bowl 30-second commercials cost a reported $6.5 million each.
Liquors are infrequent but impactful promotional and product-placement partners for movies. They’re rare because of age restrictions limit them to mostly to R-rated films; the cinema audience skews younger than the general population.
But they can be impactful, as the book “Marketing to Moviegoers: Third Edition” points out: A “landmark came when the James Bond movie character ordered a martini with vodka in 1962’s ‘Dr. No’ (with instructions it be shaken, not stirred). The liquor industry said the scene was a catalyst for a wholesale consumer shift away from gin. The highly coveted vodka product placement in the James Bond spy films is dominated by Smirnoff (seen in the first installment ‘Dr. No’), though Finlandia did a deal for at least one film.”
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