THIRD time is a charm

Spidey is back.

And a slew of big-name brands are backing the May 4 release of Spider-Man 3 with a combined marketing investment of more than $100 million.

The studio has pulled in powerhouse consumer package goods companies like Kraft and General Mills, as well as 7-Eleven, Burger King and Comcast.

“Even though this film is third in the series, our strategy behind it was to figure out how to do things differently,” says George Leon, executive vice president, worldwide consumer marketing, Columbia TriStar Marketing Group.

What’s the difference? A heavy focus at retail.

Kraft Foods, for example, is promoting Spider-Man 3 across nine brands with games and special offers.

The company’s Nabisco Foods unit is out with an instant-win game offering 10 trips for four to Los Angeles, tours of Sony Studios and Activision Games and $1,000 in spending money.

The promotion at www.kraftfoods.com runs through Aug. 31. Movie-themed packaging on Kraft’s Ritz Bits, Mini Nilla Wafers and Chips Ahoy products and in-store P-O-P support it.

“Kraft seeks to make its brands relevant to consumers and their interests, and we think they will be excited about our association with Spider-Man 3,” says Donna McCabe, director consumer promotions alliances and initiatives, Kraft Foods.

Not only that, packages of Velveeta and Kraft Singles carry offers for a Spider-Man 3 beach towel with proofs of purchase. And Capri Sun beverages is featuring free action cards with a collector’s capsule case, while Kraft Handi-Snacks and Ritz Bits Sandwiches have in-pack themed lenticular cards.

“We’d like to provide consumers with cutting-edge offers and a fun and engaging experience, which reflect the quality Kraft brands involve,” says Shelley Labuda, Kraft’s senior manager consumer promotions.

What’s more, General Mills adds its marketing muscle to more than 100 million packages across 20 brands, including Cheerios, Pillsbury, Pop Secret and Fruit Roll-Ups. It’s one of the company’s largest movie tie-ins and the first with Spidey studio Columbia Pictures. An instant-win sweepstakes overlay offers the chance to win movie ticket gift certificates at www.Pillbury.com through Aug. 31.

Procter & Gamble’s Pringles has movie-themed packaging and Spider-Man 3 Pringles Prints, which features trivia from all three movies printed on the chips. A mail-in promo offers a free movie ticket with the purchase of $10 in products.

Already, studio executives are predicting success. New characters and the movie’s unique plotline give marketing partners more creative freedom to launch promotions, says Mary Goss Robino, senior vice president, global marketing partnerships, Columbia Tri-Star Marketing Group.

“We have a great story this time around,” she says “It’s a winner.”

In Spider-Man 3, Peter Parker manages to strike a balance between his love for M.J. and his superhero duties. But changes occur. His suit turns black, enhancing Spider-Man’s powers and his newly found dark personality. Trouble brews when Peter must choose between those powers and his hero status while battling new villains, the Sandman and Venom.

Packaged foods aside

Burger King has kicked off a five-week promotion targeting kids and adults. A scratch-and-win game offers the chance to win a $1 million American Express gift card or other prizes, including a 2007 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT, a Sony electronics prize pack, a BK Double Stacker or six-piece Chicken Fries. The games appear on French fries and extra value meal packaging, as well as some drinks.

For younger fans, a Kids Meal promotion offers 10 Spider-Man premiums featuring new foes and the superhero’s black costume. In-store P-O-P and TV spots support the effort.

“With this campaign, we are speaking to every single demographic out there,” Leon says. “That’s what has been great about Spider-Man. You are not [restricted] to one idea.”

Target Corp. is out with an online contest seeking consumer-generated videos. The Spin Your Own Webisode promotion lets fans build their own mini Spider-Man clip using visuals and music tracks from www.Target.com/Spiderman3 through May 3.

Five finalists will fly in June to the L.A. Film Festival where three winners will be announced. The grand prize is a $1,000 Target gift card, a Sony Electronics prize pack — courtesy of Columbia Pictures’ sister company — and Spider-Man merchandise. Winner’s Webisodes may be shown in an exclusive bonus disc that will be part of the Spider-Man 3 DVD sold at Target stores.

A sweepstakes also offers a chance to win $100 Target gift cards via a weekly drawing. One grand-prize winner gets a trip for two to the L.A. Film Festival and Spider-Man-themed prizes. The promotion runs through May 26.

Beyond Retail

Columbia Pictures started hyping the movie in March with Comcast, a new partner. The cable provider offers exclusive content, including trailers, behind-the-scenes clips, character profiles and summaries of past films at www.SpiderMan3OnComcast.com.

In addition, Comcast ran a never-before-seen trailer through its On Demand service and on www.Comcast.net.

“That brings something really different to the program,” Goss Robino says.

Leon agrees.

“Doing a deal with Comcast, the largest cable service in the U.S., really helps us create a channel dedicated to all Spider-Man activity,” he says. “Reaching 100 million people every single day with a marketing message was a strong program for us. This is the future of promotion.”

For its part, 7-Eleven put a new spin on its iconic Slurpee. Customers collected three 3D Spider-Man beverage cups and tried the Black Cherry Lemonade Flavor of the Month in more than 5,800 stores in the U.S. and Canada.

P-O-P drove customers to www.Slurpee.com to play an instant-win game and sweepstakes. The promotion awarded three grand-prize trips to the April 30 movie premiere in New York. Lesser prizes included Spider-Man DVDs and video games.

“From a customer perspective, we’re saying, ‘We know what is important in your life. We want to give you something you can hold on to and really interact with the movie,”’ says Rita Bargerhuff, senior director of national marketing for 7-Eleven, Inc.

The campaign marked the first time 7-Eleven has launched a global promotion with an entertainment tie. The chain activated other Spider-Man 3 contests in seven other countries.

For 7-Eleven, the promotion was an ideal fit for its target audience: consumers 18-24.

“We know what consumers love and they love movies and games,” says Bobbi Merkel, director of strategic alliances, FreshWorks, which handled the promotion. “We want them to have some entertainment and some fun.”

For more articles on games, contests and sweepstakes, go to www.promomagazine.com/contests/