Simpsons Promo Garners Gold and Silver
June 19, 2008 // Franchising.com // DALLAS – After winning customers' hearts last summer with The Simpsons Movie promotion, 7-Eleven, Inc. and its ad agency FreshWorks have captured the minds of judges here and abroad. This week, the convenience store chain added more gold to its treasure trove, taking two out of three Gold Lion awards presented to U.S. companies at the 55th Cannes International Advertising festival.
This is the first international honor the company has earned for its July 2007 campaign in which 12 North American 7-Eleven stores were transformed into Kwik-E-Marts, the convenience store made famous in The Simpsons TV series and appearing in the movie. An 18-member jury, led by Armin Jochum, chief creative officer of BBDO in Stuttgart, Germany, reviewed 1,103 entries from 54 countries in the category won by 7-Eleven.
Also this month, 7-Eleven and its advertising, marketing and public relations agencies received top honors from the Public Relations Society of America (a Silver Anvil) and in the Effies competition (marketing communications/ideas that work) for top retail integrated marketing campaign.
Other awards and kudos for the reverse product promotion that helped boost The Simpsons Movie first weekend box-office revenue beyond 20th Century Fox studio's projection included:
7 Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience retailing industry. Based in Dallas, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses approximately 7,600 7-Eleven® stores in North America. Globally, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses more than 34,300 stores in 14 countries. During 2007, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales of more than $46.6 billion. Named the #1 Franchise Opportunity for 2008 by Entrepreneur magazine, 7-Eleven is franchising virtually all of its stores in the U.S., and is expanding through its Business Conversion Program, acquisitions, building new and leasing existing properties.