Virgin, Warner Home Video Launch "Pop-Up" Store

Virgin Megastore Times Square has teamed with Warner Home Video to help celebrate Warner Bros. Entertainment's 85 years of moviemaking by creating a pop-up store within a store. The cafe inside the Times Square Virgin Megastore has been transformed into a Warner Bros. 85th Anniversary Store, creating 400 feet of space dedicated to the studio's best DVDs of all time. The converted cafe houses a 'mini-movie theatre' that runs clips of Warner Bros. library of films from 1923 through present day releases. A red carpet leads Megastore customers from the store's escalator into the Anniversary Store.

"The idea was for Virgin Megastores to create something special that would garner attention and showcase the great films that Warner Bros. has produced over the past 85 years," explains Bart Saunt, director of strategic marketing, Virgin Entertainment Group. "We've created the largest in-store marketing design that we've ever done for a partner; which includes a 40x20 foot in-store billboard with an Epson projection screen in the middle of it. We have utilized a huge part of our Times Square Megastore to help promote the anniversary of one of the top studios in the world. It's been a fantastic opportunity to work with a partner in such a creative, large, pop-up store environment."

The pop-up store promotion will last seven weeks and is timed to coincide with the illuminating new Warner Home Video (WHV) documentary You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story. This extraordinary five-hour film, produced, written and directed by award-winning filmmaker and Time magazine Senior Film critic Richard Schickel, will air as part of the critically acclaimed "American Masters" series on PBS stations nationwide on September 23, 24 and 25. The documentary is narrated by Clint Eastwood who also wrote the introduction to a 550-page full color companion book of the same title.

The Virgin Megastore Times Square houses the biggest DVD collection in U.S. retail, which is one reason why Warner Home Video wanted to work with Virgin on this promotion. Along with the pop-up store, Virgin Megastores nationwide will support the studio's anniversary with WHV national window displays, end caps and in-store signage that ties in Virgin's current $10 Sale with WHV titles that are also on sale for $10.

"Virgin Megastores have offered us a larger than life, eye-catching and interactive design to reintroduce great classics to a new generation of filmgoers," states Jeff Baker, WHV Executive Vice President and General Manager, Theatrical Catalog. "They came to us with this creative concept that truly will help us raise the visibility of our studio's anniversary and the world's largest library of film."

For more information on Virgin Entertainment Group products/services, visit www.virginmega.com.

The AVNetwork staff are storytellers focused on the professional audiovisual and technology industry. Their mission is to keep readers up-to-date on the latest AV/IT industry and product news, emerging trends, and inspiring installations.