Unique Partnerships Fuel 'Furious,' 'Star Wars' Marketing

25 Aug, 2015 By: John Latchem

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Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has teamed with crowd-sourcing navigation app to promote the home video release of Furious 7.

The “Get Your Furious 7 Fix Fast” promotion allows Waze users in seven cities to find Prizing Pit Stops giving away free Furious 7 merchandise. The film, which grossed $1.5 million worldwide ($351 million domestically), was released via Digital HD Aug. 25 and arrives on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD Sept. 15.

Through Sept. 17, Waze will display messages touting the home video release in seven participating markets. On one day in each market, Waze users can get directions to pop-up venues where street teams will be distributing free Furious 7 branded T-shirts, hats, license-plate frames, and a limited number of digital codes to download the film on Digital HD, among other items. Each Prizing Pit Stop will operate while supplies last for up to 90 minutes and then move on to two other spots throughout the day.

Prizing Pit Stops will take place Sept. 11 in Portland, Ore., and Dallas; Sept. 14 in San Francisco and Washington, D.C.; Sept. 15 in New York City and Los Angeles; and Sept. 17 in Chicago.

“This is an innovative promotion that uniquely engages audiences with an app that has become indispensable to millions of commuters,” said John Morici, managing director of UPHE in the United States and Canada.

Meanwhile, Target has joined the marketing blitz surrounding Disney’s December theatrical release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens with the launch of “Share the Force,” touted as the first digital collection of “Star Wars” memories.

The interactive “Share the Force” website () lets “Star Wars” fans share personal memories, photos and stories about the franchise, which will be collected in an archive kept at Lucasfilm and preserved for future generations. The site will transform each fan’s experience with a hologram treatment and provide coordinates pointing to their place in the “Star Wars” galaxy.

The collection includes reflections from celebrities such as Minka Kelly, Chris Hardwick, Bobby Moynihan and more.

In addition, 207 Target stores nationwide will participate in midnight openings for the Sept. 4 “Force Friday” event that sees the launch of new merchandise tied into The Force Awakens.

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