RETAILER-FRIENDLY 'JURASSIC PARK' PROMOTION SET

JOHN KAROLEFSKI

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. -- MCA/Universal plans to turn the biggest-grossing movie in history into the biggest-grossing home video of all time by relying heavily on a "retailer-friendly" marketing campaign. "Jurassic Park," Steven Spielberg's Academy Award-winning film, will be released on video Oct. 4, and priced for sell-through at $24.98. The film grossed $900 million worldwide, and MCA/Universal Home Video looks for $1 billion from the home video release. The retail-oriented segment of the marketing campaign includes a mail-in rebate program with Kraft General Food's Jell-O brand, a special gift-with-reservation program, a national sweepstakes promotion and eye-catching point-of-purchase materials. The mail-in-rebate program offers consumers $5 with the purchase of the video and Jell-O brand ready-to-eat gelatin and pudding snacks. Shoppers receive the rebate when they submit six proof-of-purchase tabs and cash register receipts for the products, along with the rebate form contained in the video package. KGF plans to advertise the rebate offer on more than 15 million packages of Jell-O products. It will also place floor displays in more than 10,000 grocery outlets. MCA/Universal Home Video has set up sign-up centers to presell and promote "Jurassic Park" by urging customers to reserve a copy. Consumers can receive a free, special-edition "Dinosaurs of Jurassic Park" print of the dinosaur illustrations from the film after reserving a copy of the video. An "Escape to Kauai" Jurassic Park Sweepstakes will be promoted in stores through the sign-up centers. The point-of-purchase merchandisers, designed for various classes of trade, include 48-unit counter and floor displays, a 96-unit floor display with motorized gates, a 168-unit floor display with motorized gates and lights, and 768- and 1,152-unit pallet pack merchandisers. Other cross-promotional partners in the total marketing campaign include McDonald's, Kenner, Ocean of America, Tiger Electronics and CompuServe.