In Like Flint

Brandweek,  March 6, 2000  by T.L. Stanley,  Theresa Howard

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For Placements: Yabba Dabba 'Can-Do'

Burger King, Kraft, Bayer, Pets-mart, Century 21, Cartoon Network and NBC's teen-targeted Saturday block in April all tie in to Universal's Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas that incorporates extended parodied versions for two of the brands. Some $50 million in promotional support likely will include $20 million-plus in media from the partners.

With the prequel, which starts before Fred and Wilma get married Universal aims "to capitalize on the success of the first movie, target kids and gatekeepers, and broaden from there," said studio svp-promotions Beth Goss.

BK grabs the reins held by archrival McDonald's for the first live-action Flintstones movie, in '94. While McDonald's got product placement complete with mastodon tusks as the Golden Arches, BK will top that with at least 15 minutes of screen time via its appearance as Bronto King, where stars Kristen Johnston (Wilma) and Jane Krakowski (Betty) meet Fred (Mark Addy) and Barney (Stephen Baldwin) while working as carhops. With director Brian Levant a personal fan of the fast food chain, said BK manager of youth and family marketing Cindy Syracuse, the restaurant scene plays up the first Flame-Broiled Whopper, Onion Rings, the chain's colors and Burger King Crown. "This is a great fit with the product placement," she said.

BK plans a three-month-long domestic and international tie-in with four premiums in its Kids Meals and Big Kids Meals, backed by four weeks of TV spots with film footage.

Among other partners, Bayer's Flintstones Vitamins will launch a national sweepstakes in May on 2 million packages dubbed "Find the Great Gazoo," a reprise of the brand's solo "Find Betty" promo which established Betty as a permanent SKU. Winners get trips to Universal Studios theme parks. FSIs, POP support.

Kraft, lately a mainstay promo partner with BK, will brand 10 million boxes of Post Pebbles cereal with a free kids movie ticket offer, backed by TV and print ads.

Petsmart, which inked a two-film deal with Universal for Flintstones and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, will bow a "Be A Star" sweeps online and instore that sends winner plus pet to Hollywood for VIP treatment, a walk-on role in a movie, and spa and groomer visits. A 40 million circular touts,

Century 21, in its first link to a film property, supports its placement with ads in March/April issues of its House & Home magazine and a kid-directed "We're moving" postcard in the May/June issue. (Fred and Wilma buy their first house from Century One in the movie).

Media partner Cartoon Network will become Cartoon Netrock the week of April 16 with an hour of The Flintstones classic series in prime time. A sweeps will give family trips to Universal parks each night. NBC'S TNBC Saturday morning programming block will air behind-the-scenes interviews and other bits; an accompanying contest will make teens extras on a Universal movie and let them report on their experiences as a studio "teen reporter" on TNBC.

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