TO ENGAGE FANS IN CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
STUDENTS’ IDEA TAKES OFF WITH FIRST-EVER
INFLIGHT FILM FESTIVAL ONBOARD AMERICAN AIRLINES
Field of Dreams & Seabiscuit Featured April 30
Universal Pictures proudly partnered with the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism to develop ideas to celebrate the Studio’s 100th Anniversary on April 30. Now, one of the USC students’ ideas is taking off on April 30 with the first-ever inflight film festival to commemorate the Studio’s legacy and 100 years in moviemaking. Universal Pictures is teaming up with American Airlines to welcome customers onboard Flight 1 and Flight 22 with this special in-air transcontinental film festival featuring two of Universal’s beloved films, Field of Dreams and Seabiscuit.
To prepare the students for the task of creating potential activities for the Studio’s 100th Anniversary, senior executives from Universal Pictures presented Professor Matthew Le Veque’s graduate class at USC Annenberg with the centennial’s overarching themes and objectives. The 17 students from Le Veque’s Social, Digital and Mass Media Strategies class were then asked to brainstorm and create campaign ideas in the spirit of Universal’s fans.
“The partnership with USC was a great way for us to create an initiative that was authentic and appealed to our fans,” said Rick Finkelstein, Universal Pictures Vice Chairman and COO. “We’re excited to share Universal’s special day with select American Airlines customers. This is a fun and interesting way for us to engage and bring fans together, while celebrating our anniversary. We’re grateful to the students at USC and American Airlines for helping us highlight our 100 years in moviemaking with this unique opportunity and partnership.”
As a toast to Universal’s special day, customers onboard select American Airlines flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will be invited to sit back and enjoy the films. Gift bags will be distributed at the gates of participating flights prior to departure, giving customers a coupon for a free 15-minute inflight internet session, headphones for their listening pleasure and classic movie candy.
Fans will have a chance to be one of 10 winners, randomly selected from qualifying tweets. Winners will receive an in-air Universal Centennial Blu-ray prize pack. Anyone can join in for a chance to win by using the hashtag #Universal100 in their tweets from April 30 through May 1.
“The Universal Studios 100th Anniversary partnership, in which our students were challenged to come up with creative strategies and tactics for an extraordinary event, is a perfect example of the real world opportunities we seek for our USC Annenberg students,” said Jerry Swerling Director, Strategic Communication and Public Relations Center at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism University of Southern California, Los Angeles. “We are thrilled that Universal Pictures is using one of our students’ ideas and are grateful for this opportunity.”
This first-ever in-air film festival is just one of the many activities the Studio has planned during its yearlong celebration. Initiatives like this are designed to bring special memories back to longtime movie lovers and fans, and to engage new audiences with Universal’s extraordinary library of films. For more information regarding Universal’s Centennial year, visit http://Universal100th.com.
ABOUT UNIVERSAL PICTURES
Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is part of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51% interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49% stake. Become a fan of Universal Pictures on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/#!/UniversalPictures, and follow Universal on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/universalpics.
ABOUT THE USC ANNENBERG SCHOOL FOR COMMUNICATION AND JOURNALISM
Located in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California, the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism (annenberg.usc.edu) is a national leader in education and scholarship in the fields of communication, journalism, public diplomacy and public relations. With an enrollment of more than 2,200 students, USC Annenberg offers doctoral, graduate and undergraduate degree programs, as well as continuing development programs for working professionals, across a broad scope of academic inquiry. The school’s comprehensive curriculum emphasizes the core skills of leadership, innovation, service and entrepreneurship and draws upon the resources of a networked university located in the media capital of the world.
ABOUT AMERICAN AIRLINES
American Airlines, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection® carrier serve 260 airports in more than 50 countries and territories with, on average, more than 3,300 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American’s award-winning website, AA.com®, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld® alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members and members-elect serve more than 900 destinations with more than 10,000 daily flights to 149 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, and AAdvantage are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. AMR Corporation common stock trades under the symbol “AAMRQ” on the OTCQB marketplace, operated by OTC Markets Group.
