CROSS PROMOTIONS BACK "QUEST"

ANNE SHERBER

BURBANK, Calif. -- When "Quest for Camelot," Warner Home Video's entry into the fourth-quarter children's film sweepstakes, makes its home video debut Oct. 13, it will do so with a host of supermarket-friendly cross promotions.

That's no accident, according to Clare Lukasik, director of marketing for Warner Home Video Family Entertainment here. "Supermarkets are a very important channel, one in which we definitely want to expand," she said.

The video release of the film, which is an animated retelling of the Arthurian legend with the voices of Pierce Brosnan and Jane Seymour, will feature a number of promotions designed to provide special opportunities for supermarkets. All 4,000 CoinStar Machines, coin sorters and coupon dispensers found in supermarkets nationwide, will feature both audio and video snippets of "Quest for Camelot" characters, and each CoinStar receipt will contain a $2 mail-in rebate good toward the purchase of the video.

When consumers purchase a carton of Act II popcorn and the video, they will receive a free pencil topper. Act II will provide on-pack exposure on more than 3 million packages. Smucker's is offering consumers a plush beanbag toy based on one of the film's characters with the purchase of one Smucker's ice cream topping and purchase of the video.

Lukasik said the studio will also sponsor a display contest designed to "encourage grocers to build creative displays and place them in high-traffic areas." Prizes include a trip to England and $5,000 worth of American Express gift checks.

The video itself will be enhanced with three value-added components. Each copy will come with a free on-pack pendant featuring a dragon character from the film. Also included will be a mail-in offer for a free 14-inch plush dragon toy and a Warner Bros. 75th Anniversary coupon booklet with $150 in savings on a variety of products.

"We believe that this will be the biggest family release in the fourth quarter, and we've put together some great promotions and offers," said Lukasik.

Lukasik noted that in order to draw consumer attention to the title, Warner's merchandising displays will feature one of the free-with-purchase plush toys. "Moms can see what a great value the tape is and kids will want the plush toy," she said.

Promotional efforts backing the film's theatrical release included tie-ins with Tyson Foods and Kraft, both of which sponsored consumer sweepstakes, and Frito-Lay, which created a discount ticket offer.