The History Channel is planning a major promotional effort behind its upcoming documentary, Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked, and the Comic Shop Locator Service is the beneficiary through the auspices of Diamond Comic Distributors. The network is mounting promotions in a variety of venues to boost viewership of the program, to be aired on June 23rd, and all of those promotions and on-air mentions will include the CSLS.
History Channel is preparing an 8-page promotional comic to promote the documentary, featuring a character it's created. The comic will include a full-page ad for the CSLS, and 1.5 million copies will be distributed in a number of promotional giveaways. A national QSR (quick service restaurant) promotion, soon to be signed, will give the comic away in restaurants across the country. A theater advertising company is arranging to distribute the comic in theaters, and the CSLS logo will also be carried on the counter cards that promote the giveaway. Diamond will distribute the free comic to CSLS-listed stores (and others) that request to be included in the program. The History Channel will also display the CSLS info in the program credits and on its Website.
The timing of the program, on the Monday after the nationwide premiere of Ang Lee's Hulk movie, makes the theater promotion especially powerful, and provides a great environment for the promotion and for getting retailers into comic stores. Barry Lyga of Diamond, who's seen the treatment for the documentary, said it '...Looked good. They've got all their beats down.' A great media environment, promotional tie-ins in a wide variety of venues, and a program that depicts the medium well all add up to a super opportunity for comic retailers to expand their customer based. The CSLS currently includes about 1700 store locations, so the opportunity to increase the sales of comics by connecting interested fans with a store near them is also a good one.
Diamond CSRs are signing up retailers not currently part of the CSLS, and can also take orders for additional copies of the giveaway beyond the basic allocations.
