Promotional Products at the Movies

So in case you haven’t heard, New Moon is out today.

For any of you that don’t know, New Moon is the second – highly anticipated – installment of the Twilight Saga.

Centering on star-crossed vampire/human lovers, Edward and Bella, the Twilight Saga has quickly grown from a favorite young adult series to a nationwide phenomenon.

I have to admit, I am a pretty serious fan.

Yes, I’ve read the books. Yes, I own Twilight the movie. Yes, I feel a little guilty. And no, I’m not a stalker of any of the cast members. I just happen to really love fictional/fantasy movies and books, and this series fell right into place among the other witches, wizards and romance (no not harlequin) that decorates my bookshelves. I mean, who doesn’t need an escape from the real world now and then?

So even with all the hullabaloo focused around the release of New Moon, I cannot help but be amazed by the multitude of promotional products that are being used to generate buzz about the movie. Everywhere I turn there is another poster, another magazine, another t-shirt, another candy bar featuring the cast’s young faces!

I am amazed and absolutely in awe of the promotions for this movie. While it may be next to impossible to generate this type of excitement about a typical product or service, the power of promotional merchandise cannot be denied.

This movie has gone far and above the typical promotions surrounding a new release.

Everywhere I turn, there is an image of Edward or Jacob. “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob” t-shirts are being worn by millions. There are thousands upon thousands of imprinted items available for “Twi-hards” to display publicly their eternal love for these mystical characters.

This my friends, is one of the greatest promotions I have ever seen.

This movie has successfully surpassed all previous records for advanced ticket sales, and is quickly on the way to other box office records. As I said, the books are great! The first movie was definitely good. But is New Moon record numbers good?

I’m sure everyone in the world of marketing and advertising can attest that you should never underestimate the buying power of teens and young adults. But I have to think. Would these numbers have ever come close without the posters, tees and ringtones – and of course Rob Pattinson’s appearance on the cover of oh so many magazines?

I think not.

So for all of my fellow Twilight fans out there, here’s the trailer to the movie to hold you over until you make it to the theater – that is of course if you haven’t already seen the movie!

Oh, and who plans to purchase an aluminum water bottle with Edward or Jacob on it? Anybody?