Etch A Sketch receives starring role in 'Elf'

it be the Hollywood home of Leatherface and Freddy Krueger, so or not it's little ask yourself that potential corporate tie-in partners weren't bound New Line Cinema could beget a heat and fuzzy family unit film for the vacations.

The producers of "Elf," starring "Saturday night live" alum Will Ferrell, made the rounds and got here again with a lone, eleventh-hour companion, Ohio artwork Co., ultimate favourite for its venerable Etch A Sketch. however with buzz building for the movie-Mr. Ferrell has simply inked two new film offers-each the toymaker and the studio have their fingers crossed for a sleeper of "domestic by myself" proportions.

Ohio artwork, which linked to Walt Disney Co.'s "Toy Story 2," and nonetheless a relative newbie in film cross-promotions, is projecting upward of a 30% income start. "it be a matter of, `what number of will we make?' We're going full tilt," referred to Martin Killgallon, Ohio art's advertising and marketing and sales supervisor. "every thing about this movie is ultimate for us. The product is a component of the solid."

in the movie, Mr. Ferrell's persona, raised by way of elves, searches out his precise family in manhattan. He uses his Etch A Sketch as a sort of elfin Blackberry. In several scenes, elves in Santa's workshop are seen constructing Etch A Sketches on an meeting line.

Time Warner's New Line and Ohio paintings are dispersing "Elf"-themed examine publications to 1,000,000 grade schoolers across the country this month, and a whole lot of lots of Etch A Sketches will game "Elf" stickers and inserts. An "Elf" break money Sweepstakes will supply away $20,000 in cash. sellers like Toys `R' Us can have movie posters and special shows.

The toy may get some additional face time when Mr. Ferrell makes the late night and morning speak show circuit. Artists from the company will do Etch A Sketches of hosts such as Jay Leno, with Mr. Ferrell handing over the sketches as presents.

different efforts

amongst other efforts: americans dressed as elves are piling into cabs in ny to deliver toys to shelters and youngsters' organizations. In a tie-in with mother or father Time Warner, clips from the movie are acting on AOL instant Messaging systems in place of banner adverts on pal Lists.

Mr. Ferrell become also featured Nov. 7 on Amazon.com's "holiday A-checklist" page and may be featured analyzing the "Elf" e-book in its audio page later this month.

for brand new Line, most reliable usual for its horror-myth-action films, the recently released "Secondhand Lions" and "Lord of the Rings" franchise have inched the studio toward a broader viewers base and capabilities accomplice pool, said Gordon Paddison, exec VP-integrated advertising. "or not it's new territory for us." recent formation of the integrated advertising and marketing neighborhood, aimed toward helping partners navigate the studio and tie-in across divisions, may still assist too, he said.

partners are difficult to come via within the latest chance-averse financial system, trade veterans noted, and tend to cluster around without difficulty understood concepts like widely wide-spread's "Cat within the Hat" and Warner Bros.' "Looney Tunes." there are times when entrepreneurs pass over out, as with Fox's "home on my own," which opened with out partners. "Elf," which additionally stars James Caan and Ed Asner, turned into directed via Jon Favreau of "Swingers" and "Made" reputation.

"here is essentially the most household-pleasant movie we have now ever accomplished," pointed out Russell Schwartz, New Line's president-home theatrical marketing. "corporate the united states didn't rather know what to make of it."

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