BURLINGAME, Calif., Aug. 23, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Mobile entertainment pioneer Limbo 41414 is going to Super Heroic heights to raise awareness and interest in its premiere Mobile "Auction" product. The company is teaming with News Corporation's advertising and promotional division News America Marketing, to feature a Limbo Auction offering a 2006 Ford Mustang GT Convertible and a year's supply of gas within the pages of a "Special Edition" reprint of the original "Amazing Spider-Man" series, which introduced the superhero and his mild-mannered alter ego Peter Parker to the world in 1963.
News America Marketing's innovative re-use of this American pop culture classic will feature the reprints on the same classic pulp paper stock, inserted into Sunday newspapers nationwide. Under the terms of the partnership, the two companies will share revenue generated through the premium Limbo Auction, which will be featured on the back cover of the comic book inserts for four consecutive Sundays, running through September 10.
The Limbo "Auction" is an engaging, cell phone-driven text messaging game that integrates the components of both a sweepstakes and an auction. A Limbo Auction is distinct from any other experience in that it's a truly interactive game where the winner is the person making the lowest bid that no other player makes, not the highest bid. It encourages players to develop and employ bidding strategies and to stay highly engaged during each round as they receive comments and tips regarding their bids (e.g., "you're the lowest unique bid," "your bid is unique but not the lowest," etc.).
For this promotion, Limbo 41414 has created a striking ad in a vintage, comic book style that will be featured on the back cover of comic book reprint. With a headline, "The Incredible Winnable Car," the ad spotlights the prize, a 2006 Mustang GT and free gas, and clearly communicates how consumers can participate in the fun-filled Auction and learn more about Limbo 41414.
Limbo 41414 will receive tremendous exposure as News America Marketing will deliver the "Amazing Spider-Man" comic book re-issues -- which feature the original adventures of Marvel's renowned webslinger -- within hundreds of Sunday newspapers across the nation. The Spider-Man reprints are expected to have a circulation of more than 10 million each week -- providing Limbo 41414 with the opportunity to expose its brand and mobile Auction game to a huge potential national audience.
"Spider-Man has enormous cross-generational appeal. Therefore, this partnership with News America to have Limbo 41414 highlighted in the re-issues offers the perfect opportunity to get in front of several key demographics.
"We believe the attractiveness of the car and gas giveaway, combined with four weeks of brand exposure to over 10 million people each week will help further the excitement for and interest in our Auction product," said Jonathon Linner, CEO, Limbo 41414.
Since launching in December 2005, Limbo 41414 has run more than 130 Auctions, awarding more than $250,000 in prizes with winning bids totaling less than $600. Limbo 41414 winners have purchased luxury items including a Hummer H3 for $36.65, a Mini Cooper for $50.43, and a year's supply of gasoline and a plasma TV for $54.24 and $8.85, respectively. Also, no one loses in a Limbo Auction: for each bid placed, players receive Loot that can be redeemed for prizes in Limbo's online store.
To join Limbo 41414 for free and start playing, send a text message with the word 'PLAY' to 41414. To bid specifically on the Ford Mustang GT, text "GT" to 41414; each bid will cost 99 cents. Consumers can also play online or from their home phone. To learn more about Limbo 41414, go to www.41414.com.
About Limbo 41414
Limbo 41414 (www.41414.com) is defining a new category of mobile entertainment with its text-message based game play. 41414 brings consumers an engaging community-driven gaming experience while delivering exposure to leading brands and media companies through branded prizes. In the Limbo Auction, consumers enter an Auction where they bid on prizes via their mobile phones. The twist is that, unlike a traditional auction where the highest bidder wins, the person with the lowest unique bid wins. Plus, with a Limbo Auction, nobody loses; for each bid placed, players receive Loot that can be redeemed for prizes in the Limbo store. Headquartered in Burlingame, California, Limbo 41414 is a private corporation backed by two of the world's top Venture Capital funds: Azure Capital Partners (www.azurecap.com) and Draper Fisher Jurvetson (www.dfj.com). The company also reunites a proven entrepreneurial team: Rob Lawson, Jonathon Linner and Juho-Pekka Virolainen.
The Limbo 41414 logo is available at http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2744
About News America Marketing
News America Marketing, a division of The News Corporation Limited, is the leading single-source provider of consumer advertising and promotional services. The company's product portfolio, marketed under the SmartSource brand name, consists of the first branded free-standing insert, known as SmartSource Magazine(r), various in-store advertising and promotional products, merchandising services, database marketing tools and online promotions. These products and services allow marketers to deliver a brand message to over 150 million consumers each month via a network of 1,161 newspapers and 34,500 supermarket, drug and mass merchandisers' locations across the country, including Albertson's, Kroger, Winn Dixie, CVS, Eckerd and Rite Aid.