'TARZAN' SWINGS INTO VHS, DVD

DAN ALAIMO

BURBANK, Calif. -- "Tarzan" will become the first Disney animated feature to be simultaneously issued on DVD and VHS when it is released Feb. 1, 2000 by Buena Vista Home Entertainment. The DVD will be enabled for use on computers, complete with Internet links, and will include such additional features as a Phil Collins recording session, a Read-Along and a trivia game. Pre-book is Dec. 21, 1999.

"Supermarkets are going to be key players in our drive to reach families," said Mitch Koch, senior vice president and general manager at Buena Vista Home Entertainment North America, Burbank, Calif. "With the animated classics becoming available, many families are starting to build their DVD libraries. But the Tarzan DVD in February is going to be one of those truly exciting retail events -- a must-have title that consumers will come looking for. The cross-branding opportunities are huge and the POP is some of the most exciting and imaginative that we have come up with."

March 21, 2000, a "Tarzan" collector's-edition DVD will be issued with an audio commentary by the movie's creators and bonus materials about the history and development of the film. Pre-book is Feb. 8, 2000. The additional features on the DVDs "go a long way to showcasing the real capabilities of Disney DVD," said Koch.

The VHS version will have a suggested retail price of $26.99, the DVD will be priced at $39.99 and the collector's-edition DVD at $49.99. Besides a heavy advertising campaign, there will be cross promotions with Energizer batteries, Kid Cuisine, Grolier, McDonald's, Nintendo, Disney Interactive and Walt Disney Records.

The Energizer cross promotion will offer customers a $2 instantly redeemable coupon when they buy "Tarzan" on VHS or DVD, plus two battery packages. Energizer will support the program with a bothnational and account-specific promotional support.