Full Steam Ahead for The 39 Clues
By Karen Raugust -- Publishers Weekly, 6/11/2009
Scholastic Media will promote its multimedia book series The 39 Clues through a promotion with Amtrak that will run July 1 through August 31. The partnership will feature two million branded ticket jackets distributed at stations nationwide and dining car placemats and seatback signage in trains. More than 90 stations will have counter cards promoting The 39 Clues “Ride The Rails” Sweepstakes, in which the winner will receive a trip for four anywhere Amtrak goes; stations in the Northeast will display branded banners. Both The 39 Clues and Amtrak Web sites will highlight the promotion.
“When we were looking for promotional partners, we were looking in the travel, adventure and family categories,” says Daisy Kline, director of marketing and brand management at Scholastic Media. “Amtrak is the perfect partner.”
The fourth 39 Clues title, Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson (aka National Book Award winner Judy Blundell)—the first female to contribute to the series—was released on June 2. The same day marked the debut of the audiobook version, containing exclusive bonus material, and the second 39 Clues card pack, tied to books four, five and six. In addition, Scholastic introduced an online campaign, featuring an exclusive six-part video report that includes author interviews, a preview of book five (The Black Circle by Patrick Carman, due August 11), and special passwords for free digital “evidence cards.” To date, the 39 Clues web site has attracted more than 500,000 online game users from 191 countries.
