HSN Plans Event to Sell #SWATH the Merchandise and New BTS/Interviews

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – It was announced today that HSN, the leader in multi-channel retail, has partnered with Universal Pictures to create a compelling and unique marketing partnership that entertains HSN’s extensive customer base, engages new consumers and drives excitement to see one of the most anticipated films of the year, Snow White and the Huntsman. The 24-hour HSN event will take place on Wednesday, May 30, across all of HSN’s platforms, including TV, HSN.com and HSN mobile.

Snow White and the Huntsman, starring Kristen Stewart, Oscar® winner Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth opens nationwide on June 1.

With the release of the Snow White and the Huntsman-inspired collection, HSN continues to reinvent and reenergize retail by allowing consumers the opportunity to experience the film and engage in a flight of fantasy in a personal way – via bold and imaginative HSN products customized for “her”. Top HSN designers will bring the movie to life with a curated assortment of exclusive products reflecting the spirit of the film.

“HSN has evolved into an entertainment channel that goes beyond providing a platform for commerce. At our core we are storytellers and entertain our customers with engaging content and unique retail experiences,” said Bill Brand, EVP of Programming, Marketing and Business Development. “The partnership with Universal Pictures for Snow White and the Huntsman plays a key role in elevating awareness and relevance for the HSN brand. It is an important component to our Entertainment Strategy.”

The multi-platform HSN event will include exclusive collections that were directly inspired by the film. HSN’s creative directors were given a once-in-a-lifetime look behind the scenes that awed and inspired. High-end jewelry, fashions and home accessories including exclusive pieces from Hutton Wilkinson, Loree Rodkin, and Heidi Daus, will be available for sale. Designers Ranjana Khan, Adrienne Landau, and numerous others will also have styles that highlight the film’s iconic costumes playing into the overarching movie theme of beauty and power.

“HSN is the perfect partner to bring the look and feel of Snow White and the Huntsman to life through fashion and lifestyle items inspired by the film,” said Stephanie Sperber, President, Universal Partnerships & Licensing. “We know this 24-hour event featuring unique clothing, jewelry and accessories alongside Snow White and the Huntsman footage will build anticipation for the film’s opening on June 1.”
Shop the collection on May 30.
Source Thanks kstewartnews

 

 Universal Pictures and HSN, formerly known as the Home Shopping Network, are planning 24 hours of programming at the end of May featuring beauty, home and fashion products created specifically to evoke the sensibility of the coming movie “Snow White and the Huntsman.” 
“It’s really powerful to link the storytelling and products,” said Stephanie Sperber, president of partnerships and licensing for Universal Pictures, which produced the Brothers Grimm-inspired tale starring Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron as the dueling beauties.

The May 30 HSN event, just before “Snow White” opens nationally on June 1, is trying to drum up viewer interest. Exclusive behind-the-scenes looks at the film version, with its fantastical effects, striking scenery and scary twists, will be combined with products specifically created to evoke the film’s themes of beauty and power.

There is no product placement, but Ms. Theron wears Evil Queen jewelry that inspired HSN’s apple-shaped brooch and about 200 other products, including several mirrors, that will be offered to home shoppers with footage from the movie’s filming in and around London last year.

“The vast majority of its viewers range from their late 20s to their early 40s,” said Ms. Sperber, “so HSN is a perfect marketing partner for this movie.”

HSN, which broadcasts to 96 million households around the clock, also will feature cosmetics, bedding and other products on its Internet and mobile platforms. About five million customers — about 80 percent of whom are female — have shopped at HSN in the most recent 12-month period, according to the St. Petersburg, Fla.-based company.

“We are infusing storytelling as we entertain our customers with engaging content and unique retail experiences,” said Bill Brand, HSN’s executive vice president of programming, marketing and business development. “Our customer loves to be in the know, so the earlier — and more — access, the more interested and excited she is.”

Movie marketing partnerships are part of HSN’s effort to recast itself from a shopping channel to a lifestyle network offering goods tied to entertainment and pop culture. About two years ago, HSN began working with Hollywood film marketers to build interest in coming releases.

 Last August, HSN worked with DreamWorks Pictures to create two days of programming featuring goods inspired by “The Help,” the story of black maids in white Southern homes. The items included retro dresses, makeup, fragrances and food, including two kinds of chocolate cake — although not precisely the same recipe featured in the film.

 In advance of its “Snow White” programming blitz, HSN plans to show the movie to its employees — as with “Eat Pray Love” — to help its call-center workers respond more readily to shopper questions about products and their connections to the film.

HSN also was on the set in England to film interviews and footage for the behind-the-scenes material that will be part of its May “Snow White” session. HSN also is showing a movie trailer on its site, and mailing 1.5 million program guides to its households to build awareness among viewers. It will also promote the event on other television networks, but it has not yet settled on which ones.

In addition to the apple-shaped brooch designed by Heidi Daus, other products include a twig-and-butterfly bordered mirror designed by Hutton Wilkinson, candles by D.L. and Company, and Richard Mishaan-designed candlesticks, lamps, mirrors and decorative pillows. Each designer is scheduled to talk about the wares related to “Snow White” during the HSN event.

Shoppers who use mobile devices, including tablets, will be able to watch clips on products and the film, and talk about them on social media like Facebook and Twitter.

Universal Pictures did not disclose how much it was spending to market “Snow White.” It is paying HSN an undisclosed marketing fee.

“It’s almost like barter,” said Ms. Sperber. “We receive a fraction of product sales, but what we are looking for is building anticipation for the movie.”
NYTimes Thanks Mel452 | KstewAngel