7-Elevens become Kwik-E-Marts for Simpsons promotion

Posted Jul 2nd 2007 2:09PM by Zac Bissonnette
Filed under: Launches, Television, Marketing and Advertising, Columns

In a bizarre case of life imitating Bart (sorry, couldn't help it), 7-Eleven has transformed a dozen stores into Kwik-E-Marts, even offering Simpsons-exclusive products like Buzz Cola, KrustyO's cereal and Squishees. The transformation comes as part of the promotional lead-up to the July 27 opening of The Simpsons Movie, the first feature-length version of the popular cartoon.

According to the Associated Press, "For 20th Century Fox Film Corp. and Homer's creators at Gracie Films, the stunt is a cheap way to call attention to their movie, since 7-Eleven is bearing all the costs, which executives of the retail chain put at somewhere in the single millions."

Wow. So far this Kwik-E-Mart stunt has gotten coverage in nearly every media outlet, including CNBC. And none of it has cost Fox a dime! The move comes several years after industry executives turned down an offer to transform select locations of the struggling restaurant chain Applebee's (NASDAQ: APPB) into Hannibal's to coincide with the release of a sequel to Silence of the Lambs.

Tags: 7-11, 7-eleven, appb, applebee's, kwik-e-mart, Simpsons