Subway and Vespa Promote with GET SMART

Another theatrical release hit the box office this past weekend which, like Indiana Jones, tugs on the heartstrings of us baby boomers. GET SMART was updated for the big screen starring Steve Carell as the bumbling Agent 86 and Anne Hathaway as the smooth Agent 99. It did pretty well grossing an estimated $39.1 million over the weekend although the critics weren't very positive. Those of us that remember the TV series will agree that it was all based on some silly comedy that may not translate as well into today's entertainment world. But you have to admit that casting Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart was a great choice.

Vespa and Subway have teamed up with Warner Bros. for this entertainment marketing tie-in. In addition to making a cameo appearance in the film, Vespa is also giving away scooters to 10 lucky winners. Consumers can enter at any Subway restaurant or register online at subwayfreshbuzz.com or at VespaUSA.com. Customers can also receive a $5 coupon for Subway if they test drive a Vespa scooter at a participating dealership.

The Subway "Get Smart. Eat Fresh." interactive promotion is both a sweepstakes and an instant win win game. Over a $1 million dollars in prizes is up for grabs with a 1965 Sunbeam Tiger Series I Convertible as the top Grand Prize. This car is valued at $58,500 and the winner gets an additional $25,072 in spending money that can be used to cover taxes. That is a pretty cool prize with a total value of $83,572. The winner will be randomly chosen in a drawing at the end of the promotion which concludes on August 10th.

The instant win game is where they're giving away the Vespa GTS 250 as the top prize. The second prize is a  VIP Warner Bros. Lot Tour which includes a trip package to Los Angeles along with some spending money. Nine yellow Vespa LX 50 scooters will be given away as third prizes, and several other secondary prizes that include Apple and Best Buy gift cards along with Get Smart DVD's and "Movie Money" to see the Get Smart movie.

To play the instant win game consumers have to first enter the sweepstakes which allows them one game play per day. They need to enter the secret code which can be obtained several ways such as visiting a participating Subway restaurant and making a purchase which will be then included on the register receipt. Codes will also be found on in-store displays, hidden in the Subway and Vespa websites and also obtained via an email request. The promotion is being administered and hosted by eprize.

So I hear that the shoe phone makes an appearance in the film which of course having mobile communications isn't a stretch today as it was back in the '60's. But I'm wondering why some of today's big mobile phone brands didn't get on board with this - where is our Verizon "Can you Hear Me Now?" character? I think he'd fit in very well with Agent 86, don't you?