Monday 16 August 2010

NEWS FROM KIT KAT


KIT KAT® is teaming up with Scouting for Girls to offer fans the chance to have a personal, unique gig experience, using augmented reality - the latest technology craze.

Using a promotional KIT KAT® 4 Finger (on shelf from mid August 2010), users will be able to unlock and view a one-off Scouting for Girls performance simply through their webcam.

Augmented reality is a digital technology that enables users to experience a ‘virtual’ 3D live performance - in this case an exclusive music performance.

Lead vocalist for Scouting for Girls, Roy Stride, says ‘We had a lot of fun making the augmented reality gig film and hope our fans enjoy a fun, new way of interacting with our music.’

A KIT KAT® spokesperson says: ‘It’s fantastic to be the first confectionery brand to use augmented reality on-pack and we’re delighted to be able to be a market leader in this arena. Innovation is really important to KIT KAT® and we hope that our consumers enjoy being able to see this one-off performance from Scouting for Girls.’

To view the gig, via a promotional KIT KAT® 4 Finger, log on to www.kitkat.co.uk/musicbreak, enter the VIP page and hold the special logo on the back of the bar up to your webcam and watch as a 3D hologram of a Scouting for Girls gig materialises in front of your very eyes.

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For further information please contact Frank PR
on 0207 693 6999 or email kitkat@frankpr.it

Notes to editors
• KIT KAT® is the UK’s number 1 biscuit brand
• More than one billion KIT KAT® products are eaten every year in the UK
• 33 KIT KAT® bars are eaten EVERY second!
• KIT KAT® was created in 1935 under the brand name “Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp”. It changed to KIT KAT® in 1937
Source: Nestle and Superbrands

Friday 13 August 2010

NEWS FROM ALTON TOWERS


Lucky FOURTEEN
Alton Towers Resort renames new rollercoaster after TH13TEEN deemed too unlucky

The Alton Towers Resort has today renamed it newest ride: FOURTEEN. The Resort bowed to public demand after announcing it would close its ultimate rollercoaster TH13TEEN on Friday 13th August because it was deemed too unlucky. However, bosses are so concerned about tempting fate that rather than simply opening the ride, they have rebranded the coaster, calling it FOURTEEN instead.

For one day only the ride will be known as FOURTEEN to appease fans and all signage has been changed. Staff have all been briefed to avoid using the official name of the ride, and will to refer to it as FOURTEEN for 24 hours. During this time fans will also be able to buy limited edition FOURTEEN ride merchandise at the park.

The Resort announced in July that it would be closing TH13TEEN following research which showed that 30 million Brits* are superstitious and that many would refuse to ride on this year’s only Friday 13th. The decision to reverse the closure came after the Resort was inundated with calls and letters from guests protesting the decision and the creation of several ‘Save TH13TEEN’ groups on Facebook.

Morwenna Angove, Sales and Marketing Director at the Alton Towers Resort said, “We understand that many people were disappointed with the decision to close TH13TEEN and so we have found a solution that will hopefully satisfy fans by allowing them to ride, whilst still ensuring that our more superstitous visitors can still enjoy a day at the park.”

Fans can ride FOURTEEN at the Alton Towers Resort on Friday 13th August 2010.

Friday 13th Stats
• 31.6 Million Brits are superstitious
• Glasgow and Norwich are the most superstitious cities in the UK, Manchester and Sheffield are the least
• Women (74%) are more superstitious than men (50%)
• 1 in 10 of the UK population would not go on a rollercoaster on Friday the 13th
• A third of people (32%) change their behaviour on Friday the 13th for fear of bad luck
• Loss of business due to superstition is estimated to cost the US economy $800-900 million every Friday 13th**.
• Friday 13th is a modern superstition, with the first reference appearing in 1869 and is believed to have come about through a combination of fear around both Friday and the number 13***
• It’s actually statistically safer to drive on Friday 13th because people are preventatively more careful or just stay home****


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For more information please contact the Alton Towers Resort PR team on 0207 693 6999 or email altontowers@frankpr.it
The MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS GROUP is the leading name in location based, family entertainment, which has seen the most successful and dynamic growth of any company in the sector over the last five years. Europe’s number one, and the world’s second largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin has 62 attractions and 6 hotels in 12 countries, across 3 continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its 38.5 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and more than 14,000 employees. Merlin Entertainments operates the following attractions – SEA LIFE – the world’s No 1 aquarium brand, Madame Tussauds, LEGOLAND, The Merlin Entertainments London Eye, Dungeons, Gardaland, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, Alton Towers Resort, Warwick Castle, THORPE PARK, Chessington World of Adventures, Heide Park, Underwater Adventures, and Earth Explorer.
Notes to editors:
*The survey was carried out online by Tickbox.net/Opinion Matters between 15th-19th July and used a nationally representative sample of 1,111 UK adults aged 16+.
**Based on Ng, T, Chong, T & Du, X. (2010). The Value of Superstitions. Journal of Economic Psychology, 31, 293-309.
*** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th
**** According to a report by the Dutch Institute of Statistics, June 2008 as reported by Reuters http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSHER25778420080612

Thursday 12 August 2010

NEWS FROM ROWNTREE'S RANDOMS


Jedward make the world a more ‘random’ place

Taking a break from their Irish tour, X-Factor’s most ‘deadly’ duo, John and Edwards Grimes have today launched the ROWNTREE’S RANDOMS® ‘Foamy Gnome on the Roam’ tour, a summer tour that will see a giant Foamy Gnome hot-air balloon flying around the UK, bringing random events to different locations.

Fresh from the launch of their new album ‘Planet Jedward’, the twins have joined forces with the makers ROWNTREE’S RANDOMS® to inject their unique and energetic ‘randomness’ into the tour, which will see a series of random events hit Brighton, Birmingham and Manchester. Inspired by the success of the limited edition Foamy Gnome which appeared in pack earlier this year, Jedward also launched the bespoke hot air balloon which will travel the length and breadth of the country.

John said; “It’s been a crazy few months for us but launching the ‘Foamy Gnome on the Roam’ tour is by far the most random thing we’ve ever done! We’re massive fans of the sweets and are now desperate for ROWNTREE’S® to consider making our quiffs into one of the hundreds of sweet shapes!” Edward added; “Yeah, sweets shaped like our hair would be awesome! Remember to look out for the Foamy Gnome balloon jet-setting around in the sky in August – you can’t really miss it.”

Adding some extra light-hearted entertainment to the launch, the Dublin-born 18 year-olds have also performed in-front of the camera, recording an online video featuring the Foamy Gnome and other random characters to promote the events.

Louise Barrett, Brand Manager at NestlĂ© (the maker of ROWNTREE’S®) said, “We’re on a mission to make the world a more random place this summer and thought Jedward would be the perfect ambassadors for that! We can’t wait to see the reaction of the nation when a giant Foamy Gnome hot-air balloon is travelling through the sky and hope our random events will encourage you to let your random side out® this summer!”

With the first of three random events taking place on Brighton seafront this Saturday (14th August), you can keep up to date with all the latest information on the Foamy Gnome and his travels by logging on and joining up to the ROWNTREE’S RANDOMS ® facebook group, http://www.facebook.com/rowntrees.randoms
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Contact
For more information, please call Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 or email rowntrees@frankpr.it

Notes to Editors

ROWNTREE’S RANDOMS ®
Available from all good supermarkets and confectioners in 50g bags, with an RRP of 41p
ROWNTREE’S RANDOMS ® join other members of the ROWNTREE’s family including Fruit Pastilles, Fruit Gums, Jelly Tots and Tooty Frooties
The ROWNTREE’S RANDOMS® 195g sharing pack, with an RRP of £1.45 will be available in store from 25th August, featuring 10 new shapes