• The New York Times, Monday, October 29, 2007 12 PM

United Artists--the legendary but faded film label that Tom Cruise took over last year--is selling a giant 90-title DVD set as part of an unusual marketing campaign aimed at restoring its brand to prominence. Encased in frosted glass and weighing nearly 30 pounds, the set carries a suggested retail price of $869.98.

UA's 18-month marketing effort will culminate in 2009, coinciding with the 90th anniversary of the studio's founding. The campaign will include a $20 million media blitz with print, radio and online components, a promotional partnership with Panasonic and a "United Artists Film Festival" that will visit 20 cities and screen such titles as "Dr. No," "Rocky" and "Annie Hall."

"We want to reinforce and remind people of what a powerful film history and legacy a brand like United Artists has," says Paula Wagner, CEO of United Artists and Cruise's longtime business partner. UA is part of the privately held Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

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