Church's launches holiday movie promotion

Church’s Chicken is the latest restaurant chain to tie a promotion to a movie release during the holidays. The 1,700-unit quick-service chain has launched a national sweepstakes tied to “Joyful Noise,” a film about a national church choir competition starring Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton that will debut in theaters on Jan. 13. Church’s senior vice president of brand marketing Joel Bulger said this was the chain’s first movie promotion under its current ownership and was in line with its family-centric “You Bring it Home” advertising platform. “A big piece of this new platform is about families coming together,” Bulger said. “Not only is Church’s a great way to do that, but so are movies.” A Church’s spokeswoman also noted that “Joyful Noise” was filmed in Atlanta, where the chicken chain is headquartered. Also during the holiday’s, family-dining chain Denny’s is promoting its Milk & Cookies Shake and Christmas Cookie Pancakes as part of a tie-in to the holiday film “Arthur Christmas.” And White Castle is helping to promote “A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas,” the latest in a series of movies spun off from the film “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.” The White Castle promotion is a short-film competition that will give 10 winners a $5,000 scholarship toward tuition for the New York Film Academy’s eight-week filmmaking workshop. At Church’s from Dec. 12–26, customers who text to 444-222 one of four key words that can be found at participating Church’s Chicken restaurants, on television and radio ads, and at the quick-service chain’s website will be entered into the drawing. They also will receive a text offer for $1 off any Church’s combo meal. The grand prize is a trip for two to the “Joyful Noise” premier on Jan. 9, a VIP tour of Warner Bros. Studio, and a year’s worth of Church’s Chicken and Coca-Cola.