Heaven will be unleashed on November 2 with the release of the new DVD Angel Wars “Guardian Force 1,” an epic, animated, supernatural action-adventure story of angels battling fallen spirits. In the meantime, EMI CMG Marketing unleashes a heroic marketing effort to support this debut DVD release which targets the underserved ‘tween boys market. Angel Wars is a joint venture between Telestory Productions and EMI CMG.
Jump 5’s Brandon Hargest offered the first ‘tween review of the new DVD: “I really enjoyed Angel Wars. It was very well made and very entertaining. I know that kids will love it too. Whoever made it knows their stuff!”
“We believe that Angel Wars delivers the action and adventure boys crave while reinforcing the faith-based value system that parents advocate. The rallying cry for our marketing plan is ‘seeing is believing’ and we are focused on building broad awareness during the launch year to ensure Angel Wars gets the exposure it deserves and needs to succeed,” said David Crace, Sr. Vice President of Marketing, EMI CMG.
Angel Wars “Guardian Force 1” (the first in a three-part DVD series) introduces angels Eli and Kira, two junior members of the Guardian Force who must grow up in a hurry when their first mission takes a detour, pitting them against a deadly but long forgotten foe. In a race against time, they must discover the source of the enemy’s power, defeat his conspiring minions, stop the ruin of a mortal life, and perhaps most difficult of all, learn to work together.
The DVD, which features the rock music of dc talk, Newsboys and Sanctus Real, has more than one hour of engaging entertainment, including bonus feature content such as animated character profiles, an extensive step-by-step drawing lesson for creating angels, music videos from Sanctus Real, Kutless and Falling Up and a sneak peek at “Guardian Force 2,” set to release in May 2005.
Series creator Chris Waters crafted Angel Wars following 9-11, after hearing the story of a boy who asked his mother with all sincerity, “Where was Superman?” “I concluded that if kids were looking to the heavens already, hoping to spot Superman, I could show them God instead.” Waters has said.
“Angels Michael, Arianna, Paladin, Swift, Eli and Kira are a band of heroes forged together for a common purpose – to protect mankind. On the surface, Angel Wars packs plenty of attitude and action but look deeper and there is a profound difference. You see, we didn’t make this series to provide escape; we made it to give hope. We want kids to know that they matter, that they can make a difference, that there is a spiritual battle going on every day, and that they are part of the army of God,” Waters adds.
EMI CMG has a comprehensive battle plan for marketing and distributing the Angel Wars “Guardian Force 1” debut DVD which has included a website, www.AngelWars.com, live since September featuring a preview trailer. Additionally, the promotional efforts include radio spot buys and giveaways, grassroots and online marketing, print advertising, retail merchandising and special markets. In-store marketing includes standees to hold the product as well as movie posters. T-shirts are also available on the web site. All aspects of marketing rely on the belief that “seeing is believing,” and that viral marketing, or strong word-of-mouth, will ultimately carry the Angel Wars brand to victory at Christian retail. The long-term goal is to establish Angel Wars as the definitive ‘tween boys brand through animated DVDs as well as ancillary products like books, activity books, action figures, apparel, school supplies and curriculum.
Early retailer response on the first Angel Wars DVD is strong. Comments from retail include Dee Ann Anderson, kids buyer for Mardel, who offered; “Angel Wars is going to appeal to those ‘tween kids that are too cool to like the ‘kid’ stuff! They’ll love the characters, the high-tech look, and the music….it looks like a hit to me.”
“Angel Wars will be bigger than any ‘tween boys project we’ve ever sold!” added Tronnia Johnson of The Storehouse in Jonesboro, Ark. “It’s exciting to see HIGH QUALITY product with eternal values. I can’t wait to sell the first copy.”
Angel Wars “Guardian Force 1” has an MSRP of $14.99 for either the DVD or VHS. Most retailers have it special-priced through the Thanksgiving/Christmas buying season including Family Christian Stores who will run a post-Thanksgiving sale price of $7.97 for the Friday through Sunday after Thanksgiving.
