Marvel and Disney Consumer Products announced the launch of a national campaign Wednesday called “Super Hero September.”
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It’s a marketing blitz designed to help the company’s comic book properties across several formats, including live action and animated TV series, motion pictures and even Marvel-branded books and toys.
“Marvel Super Hero September is giving us the opportunity to assemble some of the very best of our licensees and retailers to showcase the power and reach of the Marvel brand,” said Josh Silverman, Disney Consumer Products’ executive vice president of global licensing in a statement. “This stands as one of the largest non-film campaigns in Marvel history and we’re looking forward to seeing how kids, fans, parents, and adults will celebrate their passion for Marvel.”
“Super Hero September” promotions will be featured all month long on Disney XD (home of “Ultimate Spider-Man”), Disney-owned ESPN Magazine and even in-store events at various Party City, Walmart, Kmart and Disney Store locations across the nation. The company even launched Marvelkids.com and retooled its website and created a sweepstakes, which promises to send one lucky winner on a weeklong cruise aboard a Disney-owned cruise ship.
It’s an understandable move for a company that found tremendous success at the 2014 box office with “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” but faces stiffer competition this fall from rival publisher DC Comics.
Marvel has “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” returning to television on Sept. 23 , but thus far more attention has been given to promising DC offerings which include the series premieres of “Gotham” (Monday, Sept. 22, Fox) and “The Flash” (Tuesday, Oct. 7., The CW) as well as the return of “Arrow” (Wednesday, Oct. 8, The CW).