Products Promote SexandtheCity Movie

Strategic-product placement is the new 'commercial' for Marketers.
Skyy vodka, which is being named the “official spirits sponsor” for the movie. Among the tie-ins are drinks made with Skyy to be served at Houlihan’s restaurants and named after characters like Carrie, Samantha and Mr. Big. Skyy Spirits, part of Gruppo Campari, is among eight marketers — big, small and in between — that have agreed to be promotional partners for the New Line Cinema release “Sex and the City: The Movie,” due May 30. There is an unusual back story, as movie people say, to the efforts by New Line to find promotional partners: It was complicated by the myriad brands seen and discussed in the 94 episodes of the TV series. Among them were shoes designed by Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo, an Apple computer on which Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) wrote her columns and designer labels like Chanel, Dior and Dolce & Gabbana. Those brands were written into the scripts for purposes of verisimilitude rather than commercial considerations, said John Melfi, an executive producer of the series who is a producer of the film, “to establish the reality of the world the characters lived in.” “It’s not sticking a bowl of cereal or a Coca-Cola in front of the camera,” he added. “It’s organic to the lives of the ladies.” For instance, Bag Borrow or Steal became involved with the film, Mr. Melfi said, because a character mentions the company in a scene in the script, which was written by Michael Patrick King. (Mr. King is also a producer of the movie as well as the director.) “It’s a Cinderella story for us,” said Jodi Watson, chief marketing officer at Bag Borrow or Steal. Mercedes-Benz [also] became involved because an event during Fashion Week in Bryant Park — officially known as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. The brand is also providing an S-Class limousine for Mr. Big (Chris Noth) and a new GLK luxury sport utility for Samantha (Kim Cattrall). Returning the favor, Ms. Cattrall joined Dieter Zetsche, chief of Daimler, at the Detroit auto show in January to introduce the GLK. Executives at Glacéau echoed that perspective. “We only partner with properties that are a natural fit,” said Rohan Oza, senior vice president for marketing at Glacéau. The pervasive “retail presence of Vitaminwater in New York,” he added, where the movie, like the series, takes place, meant that “people will accept the partnership.” The centerpiece will be the relabeling of two flavors, Rescue Green Tea and XXX (Triple Antioxidants), to salute the film.
(Sourced from NYtimes.com)