Dive Brief:

• King's Hawaiian, maker of bread rolls and barbecue sauces, is releasing an animated, full-length film, "The Legend of Hallowaiian," in select theaters, AdAge reports. The film had been available on DirecTV for $9.99 for about a month before hitting the big screen on Oct. 18.
• The kid-targeted "The Legend of Hallowaiian" features the voices of Mark Hamill, Vanessa Williams and Tia Carrere. The film was created with King's Hawaiian’s production company, Fresh Baked Films, and the company is already considering a second movie, which could be a sequel or new story using some of the same characters from the first film.
• The 82-minute film contains some mentions of the brand's rolls, including a home that gives out rolls instead of candy to trick-or-treaters. King's Hawaiian is also giving away prizes on its "Hallowaiian" website, including DVDs of the film, toys and a trip to Hawaii for four. The site also features Halloween-themed recipes.

Dive Insight:

While several brands are experimenting with different video formats and lengths, few have released a full-length film in theaters. "The Legend of Hallowaiian" follows Pepsi's feature film "Uncle Drew," which debuted in theaters in June. Pepsi built on the popularity of its "Uncle Drew" brand mascot after videos featuring the character had gone viral, racking up hundreds of millions of views.

While Pepsi was able to rely on a recognizable mascot, King's Hawaiian set up in-store displays and created online recipes to promote the film and expand its Halloween push. The efforts seem to be paying off, as the company has seen a boost in in-store distribution and sales this month, according to AdAge. The Halloween-themed film could help the company drive sales outside of its peak seasons of Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. 

Marketers of consumer packaged goods brands have been focused on coming up with clever ways to stand out, as many have struggled to attract millennials. King's Hawaiian's kids' film could help the brand build brand loyalty with families that have young children by helping parents fill the void of kid-appropriate Halloween content, according to King's Hawaiian CMO Erick Dickens.