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Sci-Fi and Nintendo join forces
for major sponsorship deal
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NintendoPosted: April 8th, 2002. SCI·FI AND NINTENDO JOIN FORCES FOR MAJOR SPONSORSHIP DEAL
Sci·Fi Shorts and GameCube Unite
SCI·FI, the cable and satellite channel operated by Universal Studios NetworksUK Limited, has secured a major sponsorship deal with the world’s leadinggames company, NINTENDO, in the build up to the launch of the Nintendo GameCubeacross Europe on 3rd May 2002.
Nintendo is to sponsor SCI·FI SHORTS, an annual script-writing initiative createdby Sci·Fi and the charity First Film Foundation to develop and produce high-qualityscience fiction short films specifically aimed at cinema audiences.
Other SCI·FI SHORTS partners include patrons Terry Gilliam and Ridley Scott;Carlton Screen Advertising and UCI cinemas, who theatrically distribute andscreen the winning short nationwide; and Future Publishing’s Total Film andSFX – both titles have just been confirmed as media partners.
Brokered by Marian Peppers, Sponsorship Director of USN UK and Ben Lukawski,Media Planner for Nintendo at Starcom Motive, the multi-media deal promiseshuge exposure for the only dedicated games console of the new era – the NintendoGameCube.
The Nintendo GameCube delivers the most original and unmatched video gamesexperience ever seen in the industry and the sponsorship will showcase this onseveral platforms: on-screen in cinemas and television, in cinema foyersthemselves and off-air in press and online coverage.
As part of the deal, 30-second ad-spots will preview all showings of thecompleted winning short film. This guarantees nationwide theatrical exhibitionin UCI multiplex cinemas, exposure to UK television audiences on Sci·Fi andother USN channels and promotion on the Sci·Fi and other partners’ websites.
In addition to its ad spot, Nintendo will be displaying the GameCube in majorUCI multiplexes during the theatrical release of the film. This element ofthe deal enables the gaming giant to demonstrate the full portfolio of gamesavailable on the Nintendo GameCube to cinemagoers, proving that the consolecaters for the tastes of everyone that loves playing games – from eight toeighty years old.
Dawn Paine, Marketing Controller for Nintendo UK, will sit alongside patronsRidley Scott and Terry Gilliam and the initiative’s other partners on a judgingpanel to select this year’s winning script from the 750 SCI·FI SHORTS entries,as will last year’s winning writer/director, Simon Hook. The winningfilm and director will be announced in April and shooting on 35mm will beginin May.
It is expected that the winning film will play with the major science fictionmovie event of the summer, Columbia Tristar’s Men In Black II. Last year’s winnerKnit Your Own Karma was theatrically released withTim Burton’s Planet Of The Apeson over 75 UCI and independent screens, making it the best distributed short ofthe last 30 years.
The winning film will also be entered for such prestigious film festivals andawards as Cannes, Sundance and BAFTA.
The deal represents continued success for USN’s sales team despite difficultmarket conditions. In 2001, it increased advertising revenues by 18 per centdespite a 6 per cent dip in the overall market.
Martin Heaton Cooper, Head of Sales at USN UK Ltd said, “As part of the Vivendi-Universal entertainment group, Universal StudiosNetworks’ sponsorship opportunities offer a powerful range of entertainment optionsthat combine to create several points of touch with the target audience. SCI·FI SHORTS is a perfect example of this as it allows Nintendo to talk toits core audiences via several media including TV, cinema, and press.”
Dawn Paine, Marketing Controller at Nintendo UK, said:“The links between film and video games is becoming closer and closer witheach medium inspiring the other. There is a great synergy between the brandsof Nintendo and the Sci·Fi channel. Both provide provocative and experimentalentertainment. We are delighted that the GameCube is to be associated withsuch an important and innovative initiative as SCI·FI SHORTS.”
News page content input by Dominic Robinson, 2002.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.