Hostess today (Tuesday) debuted a $1 million Halloween sweepstakes in partnership with DreamWorks Animation for the Sept. 29 release of Monsters vs. Aliens on DVD and Blu-ray.
The Interstate Brands-owned cupcake and snack cake maker is running an “instant-win match game” on its site, www.hostesscakes.com. Visitors can play the game featuring Monsters vs. Aliens characters for a chance to win a game based on the movie for the Nintendo Wii and game console. Consumers are automatically entered into the $1 million grand prize drawing each time they play. NMA Entertainment & Marketing served as the agency that worked with Hostess and DreamWorks on the concept and execution of the promotion.
Hostess is also selling two limited-edition Monsters vs. Aliens snack cakes. One, called Monster Cakes, are chocolate Hostess cupcakes topped with blue icing and blue sprinkles. B.O.B. Cakes, made with blue Hostess Sno balls, are made to resemble the movie’s gelatinous blue blob. Consumers who purchase any two, family-size packages of Hostess cakes, including Twinkies, CupCakes and the limited-edition cakes, will receive a $4 mail-in rebate on their Monster vs. Aliens DVD or Blu-ray purchase.
"With Hostess' 'Monsters vs. Aliens'-themed snack cakes and the chance to win $1 million sweepstakes, we know this will be a 'monstrous' promotion," said David Leavitt, vp-snack marketing at Interstate Brands, in a statement.
Interstate Brands spent $11 million advertising Hostess in 2008 and $4 million through July of this year, excluding online, per Nielsen.
