email print share on Facebook share on Twitter share on LinkedIn share on reddit pin on Pinterest

DISTRIBUTION Norway

Sandrew Metronome is Switch-ed on

by 

Norway’s major distribution company Sandrew Metronome (SM) Norge has put together its biggest promotional campaign ever for a Norwegian film in terms of product placement, with the teenage movie Switch launched today on 67 screens.

Switch is the debut feature of Ole Martin Hafsmo, who graduated from the Lillehammer Film School in 2002, the same year as his producer friend Jørgen Storm Rosenberg (The Bothersome Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jens Lien
interview: Jørgen Storm Rosenberg
film profile
]
), who brought the project to Rubicon Film & TV. The film was co-produced by TV2 Norge, with support from the Norwegian Film Fund.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

The “Karate Kid on a snowboard” story focuses on Mikkel, a 17 year-old boy who moves with his mother to a new town where all that counts for the teenagers is snowboarding. He falls in love with the girlfriend to the local bad guy, a snowboard champion (Espen Klouman Høiman from Reprise [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Joachim Trier
interview: Karin Julsrud
film profile
]
). As a big snowboard tournament is to begin, he is taught by an ex-hippie (Peter Stormare) how to find balance in life and on the snowboard.

The autumn release date was booked ahead to coincide with the opening of ski season. SM organised two test screenings to define the target group for the film: 10 to 20 year-olds, and slightly more male oriented.

Line Andresen, marketing manager for SM, said: “This is our biggest Norwegian film in terms of promotional partners.” Her company chose for its marketing campaign the media that would have the broadest possible reach in the target group, such as online and TV ads on TV3 TV Norway and MTV. Niche markets were also covered with ads in snowboard magazines and online.

“Because of the subject matter and its setting we managed to involve many sponsors,” said Andresen, “such as Pepsi, Volvo, the ski resort in Hemsedal, sports clothing line Helly Hansen and Helios Organic Food,” which used their own media campaigns where Switch played a major part.

The film had its premiere in Oslo last night. SM’s next Norwegian film to open is The Kautokeino Rebellion on January 18, 2008.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.

Privacy Policy