The suggestion for the reversible card came directly from retailers, who had seen the concept boost sales for titles from other companies, Santoro said.
Earlier this year, Black Ice parent company Zero Tolerance launched its Manufacturer-to-Merchandiser, or M-2-M, program, a full-time rep on the road to help retailers with merchandising advice and solicit feedback on their needs.
"Rudy, our guy on the road, saw that titles from other companies that used the double-sided cards did considerably better," Santoro said. "We're testing the idea. If it does well, we'll definitely use it for other titles, but we'll be selective about it. I think it only will work for certain titles, and we don't want to have the same look on every one."
Santoro added that regular sex stills, such as those typically found on the backside of box covers, won't work; it has to be a special shot that "grabs" customers.
“We are always looking for ways to service the retailer,” Black Ice Founder Greg Alves said. “The ‘hard’ O card will allow each retailer to decide how they’d like to market our product.”
The first DVD to use the new O cards in “Thick Azz Sistas” from director Lee G. Rather than duplicating the DVD art, Black Ice is shipping the video with an O Card that displays a hard image on one side and a soft image from the DVD on the other. Retailers have the option of using the hard O card or soft version, depending on which their customers respond to.
“Thick Azz Sistas” ships June 16. The movie features Sydnee Capri, Janet Jacme', Angie, Candi Luvv, Sensious, Rico Strong, L.T. and Haz. To order, contact Tony Santoro at (818) 717-1904, or email tony@blackicedvd.com.
