A Super 8 Blast to the Past

7-Eleven® Brings Rocket Poppeteers Brand to Stores With Cool, Retro Products

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Jun 23, 2011, 09:30 ET

DALLAS, June 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Fans who want a real-life taste of 1970s small-town life as shown in Paramount Pictures' Super 8 can head to 7-Eleven® stores this month for Rocket Poppeteers frozen pops, special Slurpee® cups and delicious retro candies. Building on a brand featured in the movie, the Rocket Poppeteers bomb-style ice pop is red, white and blue and tri-flavored with cherry, lime and blue raspberry. The product is only available at participating 7-Eleven stores at a suggested retail price of 98 cents.

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As part of its effort to extend the Rocket Poppeteers theme in stores, 7-Eleven has created a space-age Slurpee cup for its June promotion. Also red, white and blue, the cup combines the retro Slurpee swirl art with the Rocket Poppeteers characters – Captain "Coop" Cooper, female sidekick Cassie and fun-loving robot monkey Ralf. The featured Berry Blast Slurpee beverage blasts taste buds with strawberry, cherry and berry flavors.

"The idea of Rocket Poppeteers appeals to the kid in all of us," said Jesus Delgado-Jenkins, 7-Eleven's senior vice president of merchandising, marketing and logistics. "Bringing a favorite treat of the film's young characters to our stores is an insider's nod to the movie and gives everyone a chance to enjoy one of the nostalgic delights of summer."

"This Super 8 film tie-in is similar to what 7-Eleven stores did in 2007 with The Simpsons Movie when we marketed products seen in the film, such as Buzz Cola, KrustyO's and Squishee and offered them for sale in our stores," he added.

The movie takes place in the summer of 1979, where a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 mm film and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local deputy tries to uncover the truth - something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

"This 7-Eleven in-store program offering authentic Rocket Poppeteers products really extends the look and feel of the '70's era products seen in the film," commented LeeAnne Stables, EVP of Worldwide Marketing Partnerships at Paramount Pictures. "And it's definitely a cool bonus connection for those savvy audience members who spotted it in the movie."

As a bonus to attentive customers, an exclusive Rocket Poppeteers digital comic book can be unlocked on www.slurpee.com by redeeming five Slurpee Nation™ Rewards points. In this digital comic Captain Cooper, Cassie, Ralf and the Flavor Fleets "face their most exciting adventure yet."

To join the ranks as an official "Rocket Poppeteers Astronaut" and learn more about Captain Cooper's adventures, the history of the brand and 7-Eleven's role in bringing Rocket Poppeteers to stores, visit www.rocketpoppeteers.com site or www.slurpee.com.

About 7-Eleven, Inc.

7-Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience retailing industry. Based in Dallas, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses more than 8,400 7-Eleven® stores in North America. Globally, there are approximately 40,900 7-Eleven stores in 16 countries. During 2010, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales close to $63 billion. 7-Eleven has been honored by a number of companies and organizations recently. Accolades include: #2 on Forbes magazine's 2011 list of Top Franchises for the Money; #4 spot on Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 list for 2009 and #3 in Forbes magazine's Top 20 Franchises to Start. Hispanic Magazine named 7-Eleven in its Hispanic Corporate Top 100 Companies that provide the most opportunities to Hispanics. 7-Eleven received the 2010 Retailer of the Year from PL (Private Label) Buyer because of the company's private-label brand initiative. The company is franchising its stores in the U.S., and is expanding through organic growth, acquisitions and its Business Conversion Program. Find out more online at www.7-Eleven.com.

About SUPER 8

SUPER 8 is an Amblin Entertainment / Bad Robot production, directed by J.J. Abrams from his original script and produced by Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk. The film stars Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney, Gabriel Basso, Noah Emmerich, Ron Eldard, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee and Zach Mills. The film was released by Paramount Pictures on June 10, 2011.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation

Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group and Paramount Television & Digital Distribution.

SOURCE 7-Eleven, Inc.