LOTR News In The Philippines
Xoanon @ 1:38 pm EST

Aileen from the Philippines writes:

INVITATIONAL ADVANCE SCREENING FOR LOTR FOTR HELD DECEMBER 21, 2001

PROMOTIONS FOR FOTR IN THE PHILIPPINES

LOTR: FOTR will be released in the Philippines on January 4, 2002. Many local tie-ups were made with mobile subscriber, bookstore, theatre/mall owners, and of course with JVC. For this reason, we have more or less got good promotions/marketing for FOTR.

As I have mentioned Globe Telecoms, a cellphone company was one of the marketing tie-ups. They have been sending SMS message about LOTR trivia, and its release date to its subscribers. This is being done in connection with their “Mobile Fantasy” for FOTR. Subscribers are being courted to download icons, text cards, and join group or individual games related to LOTR.

Also, one of the biggest bookstores in our country-- National Bookstore and JVC Philippines are also promoting the movie. Posters were displayed over all the branches of said bookstore. Also just this week trailers for LOTR (theatrical trailers and character trailers) are being played over and over on JVC screens. On the side, of course are the LOTR trilogy books with the movie tie-in covers from Del Rey, including The Hobbit. It is a pretty amazing partnership. Most people looking at the trailers from JVC TV screens are browsing and buying the books right after. These are some of the reasons why the LOTR trilogy books and The Hobbit are on the top 10 fiction books of these bookstores. In some of our specialty bookstores it ranks within top 3 under fiction. And of course, the one, which sells best, is “The Fellowship of the Ring”.

The biggest mall in our city, Glorietta (which has three movie theatres) have been promoting LOTR FOTR through countdowns starting off from “10 days to go”. I noticed that every day different posters of the characters from the movie, as well as the official movie poster are being displayed on almost every corner of our said mall. All of these account for good FOTR promotion.

The one marketing tie up that I have been looking out for is the one with Burger King. It seems that until now they have not yet launched any promotion related to LOTR FOTR here in the Philippines.

LOTR SOUNDTRACK PERFORMANCE IN ASIA

MTV Screen, a program from the MTV Asia division ranked the LOTR OST in the top five soundtracks in Asia, based on sales. It debuted number 3 during the December 17 to 21 week and Number 1 during the Decmber 24 to 28 week. Contests related to LOTR are being conducted to give out the OST.