A couple weeks back, we covered a Captain America: The First Avenger viral website, “Hunt the Red Skull,” that was launched in conjunction with the film’s promotional partnership with Wrigley’s chewing gum products. It appears Marvel has reached out further to eating establishments, and launched an even larger campaign with Dunkin’ Donuts. The “Unlock the Lab” campaign provides the opportunity for visitors to see what is inside Dr. Erskine’s laboratory. Hit to jump to learn about the content to be found, a great video promoting the tie-in, and why Captain America’s overall marketing strategy is unlike anything we have ever seen for a superhero film.
Dunkin’ Donuts is seemingly the place to be if you seek patriotism and Captain America. Not only are they offering a brand new Captain America Cherry Coolata, but fans looking for content can visit their “Unlock the Lab” page on their website. There, visitors will have the opportunity to tour Dr. Erskine’s laboratory. Certain areas of the lab light up and clicking them will reveal new wallpapers, featurettes, and more. Some areas of the lab can be highlighted but not clicked on, which tells me that more content has yet to be released.
In addition to the website, Dunkin’ Donuts recently released a pretty funny commercial to promote their partnership that has been making the rounds online:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilp6MggkpwU
Even though a pairing with Dunkin’ Donuts may seem odd for a film like Captain America, Marvel deserves credit for taking full advantage of the Fourth of July weekend and other cultural events that promote American patriotism to market the film. Captain America television spots have been all over the airwaves this weekend. The film is also sponsoring July 4th fireworks and giving away swag at the Chicago White Sox game, as well as several other baseball games across the country. Never before has a national holiday been more perfect for a non-holiday film to market with, but that is clearly the case with Captain America and the United States’ birthday. I am curious to see how the presence of patriotism and American values impacts its domestic (and foreign) box office.
Captain America comes out in theaters on July 22nd in 3D.