Christian Retailing

VEGGIETALES' BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE FOR CHRISTIAN RETAIL Print Email
Written by Staff   
Tuesday, 20 December 2011 11:00 PM America/New_York

VeggieTales adventures are to be released in Blu-ray format in a Christian retail exclusive.

Six titles will go on sale from Feb. 18, 2012, as what Big Idea Entertainment said will be the first children’s direct-to-DVD Blu-ray discs in the Christian market.

Packaged with a standard definition DVD and including some new bonus features, the programs will retail for $16.99 each, just $2 more than a standard DVD. In-store floor displays encouraging shoppers to “Get the Blu's!” will be available.

“One of our strategies in launching the Blu-ray series is providing high value for a low cost,” said Greg Fritz, Big Idea's senior vice president of sales and marketing. “Big Idea launched VeggieTales in the CBA market, and it's fitting to introduce this new format exclusively in the channel as well. CBA retailers have a unique ability to promote multiple title releases and are experts at promoting the VeggieTales brand.

“Veggie fans know CBA stores carry a wide selection of their favorite animated vegetables. Given this, we feel there's no better way to launch this new category.”

Six more Blu-ray titles will follow in September, from when some past releases will also be made available in Blu-ray in the general market and all new ones will release in both formats. Lions Gate released Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie, Big Idea's 2002 feature-length production, on Blu-ray in the general market earlier this year.

Fritz said that the Blu-ray titles will include some bonus features previously included on the DVD release, as well as new bonus features created specifically for the Blu-ray editions. “There are some extras pulled from the Big Idea vault and can only be found in Easter eggs,” he said.

“Big Idea is committed to providing our programming in all formats desired by consumers,” Fritz said of the Blu-ray move. “What launched as a VHS property nearly 20 years ago, transitioned to DVD, TV, digital and now to the emerging Blu-ray format.”

The first Blu-ray releases are Pistachio—The Little Boy That Woodn’t, Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella, The Wonderful Wizard of Ha’s, Tomato Sawyer & Huckleberry Larry’s Big River Rescue, LarryBoy & the Bad Apple and Moe and the Big Exit. Each title will contain a $3 consumer mail-in rebate.