Looking at all the rabid free publicity for The Simpsons Movie, it’s easy to think, “Man, wish I’d come up with that.” But when it comes to those awesome real-life Kwik-E-Marts, the folks at Leo Burnett are saying, “Hey wait, we did come up with that.” According to an NPR report, Fox and Simpsons creator Matt Groening invited Burnett to pitch campaign ideas for the movie. The pitch reportedly included a “World Gone Springfield” campaign, which would place the show’s iconic fake brands in real-life locations like Wal-Mart. Creative director Reed Collins says Burnett not only proposed turning 7-Elevens into Kwik-E-Marts, but even began negotiations with 7-Eleven marketing agency Freshworks. Time passed, and the deal fizzled. Now that Kwik-E-Mart fever is sweeping the country, Collins says Burnett has been left unpaid and uncredited. The Burnett team was last seen drowning their sorrows in a dank corner of Moe’s. Photo by rdr07.
—Posted by David Griner
