Shown here is a set of the Up! movie premiums given away as contest prizes in Singapore.
Each premium set comes with:
1 x water bottle
1 x travel diary
1 x umbrella
1 x scarf
1 x button badge
Another contest lists the following prizes (don't have the photos though):
Each movie premium set is worth $245 and consists of:
• Movie Poster
• Tumbler
• Travel Diary
• Umbrella
• Cap
• Keychain
• Paper Binoculars
The magazine organizing the contest listed the value of the items at $245! How do you arrive at a figure like that? Is there a commercial value for movie premiums? There will always be people willing to part with money to collect things they like. But then I doubt someone would pay close to $250 for a set of these items, exclusive though they may be.
I am going to share with you an unfortunate incident I experienced using these Up Movie premiums with obviously inflated values as an example. First, imagine that you get lucky and your entry is picked for that $245 movie prize. You turn up at the information counter of the contest organizer and wait patiently while the harried staff verifies your identification and disappears to locate your prizes. You smile to yourself, happily thinking of the nice Up umbrella you will be bringing home.
After what seems an interminable wait, the staff reappears and hands you a bag full of items. Excitedly you take out all the items to verify and almost immediately realise the umbrella is missing! That's the item you like the most! Before you have time to react, the staff tells you matter-of-factly the umbrella is "out of stock" and she has replaced the item with 2 Driving Miss Daisy mousepads. Still in shock, you muster your courage and innocently ask when the umbrella would be available so that you might pick it up on another day. With a meek smile, the staff tells you rather apologetically that "the prize is already given out" You press on and insist on having the full set of items you are entitled to, no more no less. The smile on the staff fades instantly and she highlights the following terms on the contest: The management reserves the right to replace items with those of similar value. Your heart sinking, you can only manage to mutter in a small voice "But what's the value of the umbrella?" Why is it the same value as 2 mousepads?" Looking exasperatedly at you, the staff tells you rather authoritatively: "These items are limited and imported from overseas for movie promotions only. There is no way we can apportion a fixed fair value to individual items. Thank you for your support of our publication!!!"
..... well ok then.
Let me attempt to apportion value to individual items for the sum total of $245.
• Movie Poster $ 80
• Tumbler $ 20
• Travel Diary $ 30
• Umbrella $ 50
• Cap $ 30
• Keychain $ 10
• Paper Binoculars $ 25
That looks about right. What do you think?
A set of 2 MRT tickets issued for use in Singapore and promoting the 1998 animation movie A Bug's Life from Disney Pixar. I don't know how the folks at the studios do it, but they surely are a talented bunch overflowing with creative juices to come up with this totally amazing and enjoyable movie. Story is about ants on a particular anthill who had all along accepted their fate and submitted to a bunch of bullying grasshoppers. Every spring the ants would gather food and leave it for the grasshoppers to enjoy. One year, a bug named Flik by accident drops the seeds into the river. The grasshoppers give the ants one last chance to find the food by the next season. Due to a misunderstanding, the ants place their misguided hope in a bunch of misfit circus bugs for help in getting rid of the grasshoppers. But all is not lost as together they come up with a brilliant plan and succeed in driving off the grasshoppers and regaining their freedom. The characters are lovable and there are a lot of funny moments in the movie. Do watch this fine animation movie if you have not already done so, I guarantee you won't regret it.
A very lovely set of 8 movie postcards promoting Toy Story 2 from Disney Pixar.
