The British Video Association is set to launch a £1 million campaign on behalf of the major studios. The campaign will raise awareness of the benefits of the Blu-ray format and the movie releases on Blu-ray discs in the run up to the crucial Christmas sales period.

The campaign, supported by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd., Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment UK and Warner Home Video, will be spearheaded by television advertising across all major television channels from November and throughout December and will be seen by over 40 million individuals at least once, reckons the BVA.

The advertising will be underpinned by strategic public relations activity aimed at explaining the possibilities of the technology and converting consumer awareness into understanding and desire. In addition, the existing Blu-ray Revolution website will be re-developed and re-launched to coincide with the advertising campaign.

The campaign will focus on three key consumer groups – HD-ready TV owners who are yet to make the most of their technology, satellite HDTV subscribers, and Playstation 3 users who are not using the Blu-ray capabilities of their console.

It will coincide with the release of several top titles on Blu-ray this Christmas – ‘Terminator: Salvation’ from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, ‘Ice Age 3’ from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, ‘Inglourious Basterds’ from Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd., ‘Snow White Platinum Edition’ from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment UK and ‘Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince’ from Warner Home Video.

A team of specialist agencies has been appointed to execute the campaign including communications consultancy, Blue Rubicon, creative agency, The Creative Partnership and Manning Gottlieb OMD's specialist entertainment division, invENTS.

Story filed 09.09.09