KELLOGG AND NINTENDO JOIN FOR VIDEO GAME PROMOTION

JUDY CORCORAN

Kellogg USA and Nintendo of America are conducting a multilayered advertising and promotional campaign featuring the Donkey Kong Country video game and nine different brands of Kellogg cereal.

The promotion features Donkey Kong Country character art displayed on the front and back of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Apple Jacks and Corn Pops cereal boxes. Printed inside those boxes is an instant-win giveaway that includes 10,000 prizes valued at a total of $600,000.

Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Raisin Bran, Cocoa Krispies, Rice Krispies Treats and Cinnamon Mini-Buns cereals also will participate in the promotion with other Nintendo offers, bringing the total to more than 150 million Kellogg cereal packages.

The packages will be on store shelves through April. The Kellogg-Nintendo partnership breaks new ground in the arena of product promotion with an unprecedented 30-second dedicated Kellogg cereal commercial targeted to kids featuring Donkey Kong. It also encompasses 10-second tags on commercials for participating Kellogg cereals. Advertising support for the promotion is strategically targeted to Nintendo's core consumer through inserts in Nintendo Power magazine.

Couponing and in-store marketing tools, such as ActRadio, Shelf Talk and wobblers add to the integrated marketing strategy. Nintendo also will include a 16-second sweepstakes message on Nintendo's Game Play Counselor line, which receives 100,000 telephone inquiries from consumers weekly.

Some of the sweepstakes prizes and custom premiums include color televisions, Super NES control sets, Donkey Kong Country game packs, Game Boy sets, Donkey Kong game sets, T-shirts, caps, watches and stickers.

"Nintendo is excited to be working with Kellogg again," said Mark Westcott, promotion manager for Redmond, Wash.-based Nintendo. "This promotional mega-event unites the world's leading video game company with the world's leading cereal company for the third straight year with more fun and prizes for the consumer than ever before."

Said Celeste Clark, senior vice president at Battle Creek, Mich.-based Kellogg USA, "The promotion is an excellent way to reach consumers of all ages. Nintendo and Kellogg both have strong equities with kids which makes this an excellent partnership."