Media Decoder Blog: Warner to Show 3-D Film Trailers at Truck Stops

LOS ANGELES — Warner Brothers marketers are hot in pursuit of … truckers?

It appears so. Despite a continued hard sell by Hollywood, audiences have been increasingly reluctant about paying a $2 to $5 surcharge to see movies in 3-D.

But Warner is not giving up. To advertise the 3-D effects of “Jack the Giant Slayer,” set for release March 1, the studio has decided to buy space on Travel Plaza TV, which is distributed in about 300 gas stations and Pilot Flying J truck stops in 42 states.

It is less weird than it seems. The network’s high-tech screens allow viewers to see 3-D imagery without wearing special glasses, according to Steven C. Barber, an advertising entrepreneur who sold Warner on the idea. Warner, Travel Plaza TV and Mr. Barber’s company, Vanilla Fire Productions, heralded their partnership as “the world’s first 3-D without glasses ad campaign” in a Feb. 6 news release.

Travel Plaza TV, which already carries ads for items like cookies and chili dogs, reaches 30 million people a month, Mr. Barber said. “They have more families than truckers,” he added, putting the 18-wheel crowd at about 40 percent of viewers.

Warner has committed to use the network to advertise 3-D versions of both “Jack the Giant Slayer,” a revved-up version of “Jack and the Beanstalk,” and “Pacific Rim,” a science-fiction film headed for theaters in July. Bill Botte, chief executive of Travel Plaza TV, said his company is “hoping to forge a long-term relationship” with Warner.

The studio had no comment.

Mr. Barber said he got the idea to bring movie ads to the 3-D network after popping into a Flying J in Utah last year. Since Warner made its commitment public, he said, three other major studios have called for demonstrations.

“I couldn’t get anyone except Warner to call back a few months ago,” he said. “Even they started out lukewarm. But the demo made them sit up and say, ‘Aha! This could be the future!’ ”

Article source: http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/warner-to-show-3-d-film-trailers-at-truck-stops/?partner=rss&emc=rss