AVOD impressions limited to 5 million, though the film is projected to reach tens of millions of views. Brands vie to associate with Eartha Kitt global name.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, February 24, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Licensing and branding authority Legio XIII Imprimatur has announced that they will limit to 5 million impressions the number of spots available on the general AVOD release of Eartha Kitt C'est Si Bon, even though total streaming views are expected to exceed that number by many times. Previously, the licensing firm had planned a strictly TVOD release strategy.

In addition to the AVOD spots available, the licensing company is making single sponsor streams available for a select number of advertisers. This permits a number of streams to be "presented by" one sponsor. It allows the film to be presented with minimal interruptions to the audience, with the marketing visibility benefiting the sole advertiser. Legio XIII confirms the unusual strategy and adds that, after the general AVOD release is done, the film will be released to private subscription services and TVOD only sites, as well as being made available for electronic sell-through. "We don't anticipate extending the AVOD release for this film," says Leigh Ariana Trifari, VP of Marketing for the exclusive branding authority.

"The release strategy is designed to expand the initial viewership of the film and give better value to sponsors. The advertising spots are limited, but the audience streams are not. While this raises the price for a single impression slightly, it increases the real value to the advertiser and media buyer because there is less competition for audience attention, and the viewer suffers less advertiser fatigue. In other words, the smaller number of advertisements focuses much more attention on the advertisers who are seen," says Dano Veal, VP of Operations for the Direct to Audience Network. "Because we are limiting ads but not viewer streams, it's likely that many streams will have will have only one sponsor. The addition of single-sponsor streams allows one sponsor to run multiple impressions and still be the only brand seen."

Adds Veal, "The limited ad inventory of 5 million video impressions on the Eartha Kitt C'est Si Bon film is very valuable. Broadcast television ads cost between $100,000 and $1 million per 30 second spot, and the number of people who might see it is a guess at best. The guess is based on a notional market share and the assumption that everyone in that market share is watching at the same time, which is highly unlikely. But in the on-demand world of the Eartha Kitt film, each ad impression is guaranteed to be seen by at least one person. In addition, we can geo-target so that sponsors hit their desired markets with their ads. Finally, Eartha Kitt C'est Si Bon is a high profile film already gaining audience buzz. This opportunity comes once in a decade for advertisers."

The strategy was developed after director Diamond Monique Washington expressed concern that the planned TVOD-only release might not be accessible to many fans of Eartha Kitt, or the general audience. "Eartha Kitt's journey reflects the struggle every human being has to accept oneself, to succeed at life, and to affect the lives of others for the better. Her story is what we are all about as human beings. That's why Eartha is so well loved today. Everyone relates to her," says Washington. Writer and lead producer Shadow Dragu-Mihai adds, "Eartha Kitt insisted on asserting her own voice and her own power as an individual. She even dared to tell the truth about the Vietnam War in the White House itself. She was punished for that by the Johnson administration, and others including the media, the CIA and the FBI. Eartha Kitt never apologized for speaking the truth. Those who retaliated against her are already long gone and forgotten. But we still know and love Eartha Kitt. Everyone should learn about her life and how she became such an icon."

The sale of AVOD spots will close as soon as 5 million impressions are sold. The film is slated to premiere in September 2023, with an exclusive TVOD release beginning on the same date as the opening gala. A limited theatrical run may occur simultaneous with the TVOD release. The AVOD streaming release will begin a month after the TVOD release, and before the movie goes to other markets.

"The advance sales permit an advertiser to plan its marketing's strategy. The way online video ads usually work, an advertiser never knows what show their ads will play next to," says Trifari. "You have no opportunity to integrate your strategy with the show that is being watched. This is a big issue for advertisers, because their ad might be in the right geographic location, but in front of the wrong viewership, so it misses its target market entirely. Legio XIII matches brands with appropriate films and series. They are more likely to hit their target demographic. For instance, Eartha Kitt is associated with luxury and the 'good life' and her advertising campaigns for Smirnoff, Revlon 7-Up and other high profile brands. On the other hand Eartha is also known as Catwoman and Yzma, and an elite dancer and athlete herself. So she has a very young and active audience as well. Knowing these things, we see the kind of sponsors who favor this particular film."

Veal adds: "You still see ads Eartha Kitt did as far back as the 1950s. People love them, and repost them on social media throughout the world, particularly Smirnoff and 7-up. Any branding expert knows the value of that kind of visibility. That's the value sponsors get on Eartha Kitt C'est Si Bon."

Eartha Kitt C'est Si Bon stars Ashlee Olivia Jones as Eartha Kitt, Kenan's Dani Lane as Eartha Mae (the young Eartha Kitt), Star Trek's Robert Beltran as Orson Welles, XFiles alum Carrie Cain Spark as Ella Fitzgerald, and Trina Parks (Diamonds Are Forever) as Loucile Ellis. The role of Katherine Dunham has not been announced.

All inquiries, including those relating to advertising and to press, should be directed to the exclusive representatives for Eartha Kitt C'est Si Bon, which is Legio XII Imprimatur.

Leigh Ariana Trifari
Legio XIII Imprimatur Inc.
+1 323-488-5625
lat@legioxiii-imprimatur.com
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