The company is sponsoring a contest in which the store with the best “Pirates”-themed display will win $10,000 cash and two runners up will win $5,000 and $2,500, respectively.
Although “Pirates,” directed by company co-founder Joone, has been in stores since September 2005, the movie continues to rank near the top of industry sales and rental charts, including the No. 12 spot on XBIZ Video’s Top 25 Buyer’s Choice list.
It also recently became the first adult feature to gain an R rating from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for a hardcore-free version, set to hit shelves July 11.
Release of the R-rated “Pirates” is being timed to coincide with the theatrical premiere of Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” and Digital Playground President Samantha Lewis said the company saw a perfect opportunity for retailers to piggyback on the publicity surrounding Disney’s movie.
“Because of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’ pirates are becoming huge in the mainstream,” Lewis told XBIZ. “We see this as a way for adult retailers to benefit from the hype and turn it into profits.
“There aren’t many adult movies that are theme oriented and lend themselves to in-store displays like ‘Pirates’ does,” Lewis added. “It’s important for us to get store clerks involved in the movie — to say thanks to retailers — and this is a nice way to do it, by letting them win money.”
Although the contest was just announced, Lewis said Digital Playground already has been swamped with calls from retailers looking for details. To help answer their questions, the company has set up a contest page (DigitalPlayground.com/contest) on its website.
Photo entries will be accepted now through July 31, with all participating stores — including name and location — being featured on Digital Playground’s site.
Winners will be announced Aug. 31 based on email voting. To prevent spamming, only one vote will be accepted from each unique email address.
Filmed with high-definition 24p cameras, “Pirates” stars Jesse Jane, Carmen Luvana, Janine, Teagan Presley, Devon, Austyn Moore and Jenaveve Jolie.