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Fans Try Their Hands at Being the King of Pop
The new video game, Michael Jackson: The Experience, invites players to test their moonwalking skills and other Michael dance moves. But to give shoppers an even more authentic experience, Ubisoft, the publishers of the game, bundled the first shipments of the Wii versions of The Experience with a replica of The King of Pop’s iconic sequined glove.

Working with the Michael Jackson estate and Bravado, the company that creates much of the other licensed merchandise for the artist, Ubisoft developed a product that would appeal to gamers and die-hard King of Pop fans alike.

“There are MJ gloves available online, but this we wanted to make custom so the only way to get it is to buy the game,” says Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Ubisoft. “If they don’t have a Wii, a Michael fan might buy this anyway – though we’d hope this might get them to also start playing the Wii.”

Key declined to say how many gloves were produced for the promotion, but the giveaway attracted plenty of buzz. The effort was aimed at stoking pre-sales and first-week sales of The Experience, which was released on November 23 for Wii, Nintendo DS and Sony PSP, in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. The game will be available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in early 2011, so the promotion helps encourage buyers to grab up the (more expensive) Wii version rather than the competitors.

Besides generating buzz for the Wii game, Key adds that the glove is also just a lot of fun for players to use. “People could use it as a prize for winning the game – if you beat your friend you can wear the glove around the house or something,” says Key. “It’s not Michael’s $20,000 tour glove, so that’s OK to do.”

Check out the Shopping List below for some cool winter promotional products.

Kleenex Lets Customers Give the Gift of Softness
Just in time for flu season, Kleenex rolled out its “Softness Worth Sharing” promotion that invites consumers to send a free small box of the facial tissues to a friend or loved one. By entering their name, address and e-mail address on the company’s website (and opting in or out of Kleenex’s e-mail list), the consumer can have a colorful Kleenex box mailed out with a personal 50-character message.

The campaign aims to not only boost the number of members on Kleenex’s e-mail list, but also to promote the brand – and its softness – during flu season.

“Time and time again we have seen that softness is the number-one thing people want in a tissue,” says Ken Champa, a member of the Kleenex brand marketing team. “We know that when people experience something great – like the softness of a Kleenex-brand tissue – they’re naturally inclined to share it, and we want to make that sharing fun and easy.”

The program kicked off on September 26 and runs through March 31 at www.kleenex.com/softnessworthsharing. Kleenex is raising awareness of the program through national print and TV ad campaigns, online advertising, blogger relations and more than 900 in-store promotions. As of mid-November, the company had already sent a whopping 580,000 care packages throughout the country.

“We have been thrilled that so many people have not only had an opportunity to experience the superior softness of our tissues, but enjoyed sharing them with others,” says Champa. “We hope to reach all of those seeking relief from their symptoms by providing an incredibly soft tissue and the warm feeling that you get from sharing something great with your friends and family.”

Customer's Picture + Brand's Logo = Promotion Success! Generate thousands of brand iImpressions. asi/42989

FEMININE FLEECE Fashion-forward female reps will adore this Urban fleece accessory set. It includes a 100% polyester fleece beanie-style hat and a thin fashion scarf. Available in 19 colors. asi/53509

USE YOUR NOGGIN Custom-designed knit hat is made from 100% acrylic yarn and can feature a top tassel or regular beanie style with fold-up brim. Made in the USA. asi/97595

THE SKY'S FALLING Young and hip vendors will appreciate this acrylic board torque. It features a snowflake design and is made with a Jacquard knit. Available in four color combinations. asi/30271

WORKIN' 9-5 Any employee could use this stainless-steel double-walled desk mug. It has a screw-on lid with easy one-hand open and close. Mug also features a non-slip bottom. asi/37930

TIS THE SEASON An ideal giveaway, this double-walled acrylic tumbler holds 16 oz. of liquid. It includes a candy cane straw and candy canes inside. asi/57800