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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsLimited edition WoW cups coming to ampm stores
by Mathew McCurley 
Jan 26th 2012 at 4:00PM
World of Warcraft is entering over seven years of operation and still going strong, enough so that regional advertising campaigns at widespread retailers are an attractive move. WoW has definitely eclipsed the video game market and is instead focusing on attracting new players because, for the most part, a lot of the home team market is dried up. By putting WoW in places where less typical gamers might encounter it, Blizzard has a great chance of attracting new people.
Can we please get the dataminers on this and tell us what size cups these are, as well as the materials used to make them? I love those study plastic cups. I'm waiting patiently.
Filed under: News items
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
Drakkenfyre Jan 26th 2012 4:21PM
"Widespread retailers"
am/pm has stores in 12 states.
Not exactly widespread.
As I said in the original article, why not 7-11? If you can buy freaking cups for every single big name movie there, (and they have even done some video games), and the chaiin extends beyond nationwide and even goes into some other countries, why not them? Hell, can you imagine the Slurpy flavors for those? Lich King ice berry, Deathwing Cataclysm Cherry, Illidan Green Apple, and Kil'Jaeden orange Sunwell rush.
This reminds me of the Del Taco STO shuttle code. Sure, get a pet shuttle in STO for getting a Del Taco cup. Thing is, Del Taco seems to be a West/Southwest chain only. Taco Bell is nationwide, and would have actually gotten the code into a greater portion of the people's hands.
ukwest Jan 26th 2012 4:32PM
From the ampm website:
"Thirty-plus years later, ampm has grown to over 1,100 locations covering CA, OR, WA, NV, AZ, OH, IL, GA & FL as part of select ARCO & bp fueling stations. "
Online ordering options maybe?
Matheus314 Jan 26th 2012 4:36PM
Maybe they're focusing it on Brazil. Their newest open market.
Saeadame Jan 26th 2012 4:38PM
Usually it depends who you can get a deal with. It's like the pseudo-lego WoW stuff under that other company - it's who they could get to support and sell the product.
Arrohon Jan 26th 2012 4:40PM
I live in Indiana and have heard of Del Taco. I think there's one somewhere near where I live. I know that I've never eaten there though (I tend to avoid seemingly random taco joints)
Pam Jan 26th 2012 5:00PM
So I have to drive over 15 hours to get one? Sheesh.
Drakkenfyre Jan 26th 2012 5:09PM
Yes, you can order them online, from the people who are going to be selling them for $10 a piece on eBay.
Saesadame, that's a point. MegaBlocks is more likely to go with video games since they have done video game stuff before, and Lego is probably ridiculously expensive to enter into licensing with, but 7-11? Even crappy movies get cups there sometimes. 7-11 is a nationwide franchise, and I don't see why they would refuse a licensing agreement (hell, they did Farmville Slurpees and cups before) or if they wanted too much money, but it really sucks for the rest of the nation who probably hasn't even heard of am/pm.
Al Jan 26th 2012 6:23PM
Most likely, their bid was more cost-effective for Blizzard.
(Now, I'm not saying expect schlock billboards for Titan's product placement, but expect schlock billboards for Titan's product placement.)
lownwolf Jan 27th 2012 12:47PM
Drakkenfyre, your argument saying, "every lame movie gets slurpee cups, so should blizzard" is completely false. What you fail to realize is just because you think a movie is a bad movie, doesn't mean it has no money behind it.
A majority of the movies that are released, yes including terrible ones, have large studios behind at least the distribution and marketing. And for every million dollars they spend on marketing a movie, even the lame ones, they will see a return. Watching movies is something that practically everyone does with varying frequency.
Let's make up some numbers for the sake of the argument. Let's pretend 90% of the people in the US will see a movie once in the next 3 weeks, and let's say one in every 10 people are open to playing video games, and that's probably being generous.
So for 100% of the people buying a slurpee with a movie title on it, 90% of them will see a movie and now have exposure to it. For 100% of the people buying a slurpee with a video game on it, 90% of them would never even consider playing a video game..
So don't make sweeping generalizations. As I said in an earlier post, the AMPM plan is a very safe way to play it for going after markets that they don't normally even have exposure to. If they see a jump in numbers they'll probably do more things like this..
....
I think the real point is that this is a marketing campaign to get exposure..not a campaign to make a collectible for all the current players, that's just a bonus for AMPM.
Drakkenfyre Jan 27th 2012 1:23PM
I think you are over thinking my general comment.
I know movies have large marketing budgets behind them. My point was 7-11 is practically linked to the "collector cup tie-in" market. It makes more sense from an exposure point of view to go with a company that is nationwide, as opposed to a company most people in the US have never heard of and only has stores in 1/5th of the nation. You totally didn't get the point that from a MARKETING standpoint AND from a collector's standpoint, this is a bad decision. Blizzard isn't new to marketing WoW. They have done licensing and marketing with everything from replica LARP weapons, replica actual weapons, Halloween masks and kits, figures, collector's steins, 3D replicas of player's character, clothing, banners, posters, MegaBlocks sets, and more. It's not like a set of plastic cups is a serious risk to their finances, and something they should fear wouldn't go over good.
7-11 has even done Farmville cups and Slurpees. So to see Blizzard skip them, to go to a very minor chain seems odd.
It's very likely a previous comment was correct, Blizzard got a better offer with am/pm.
lazymangaka Jan 26th 2012 4:33PM
I spent my entire adolescent life not half a mile from an AM/PM. Regretfully, since leaving home I haven't lived within a state of one. Maybe I can get my brother-in-law to send them to me...
margceb Jan 26th 2012 4:38PM
Cup size will be 32oz and they are dishwasher safe. Very strong plastic material.
AMAITA Jan 26th 2012 4:49PM
LOL yea it is a gas/convenience store didn't even know there was one not to far from my house till i looked them up online. OHIO for WOW HORDE ALL the way
Chris Jan 26th 2012 4:52PM
If they're only going to go with a regional chain instead of a national one, hopefully they will consider cutting deals with other regionals so we can get them countrywide (as a New Englander, "Cumberland Farms" FTW!)
Gary Jan 26th 2012 4:56PM
Matt- They will be 32oz sturdy plastic cups and will retail for $1.99 with your first fountain fill included.
Sapphiria Jan 26th 2012 5:27PM
I want them so bad! So sad no AmAm Store near me in
Florida....
All I use are plastic cups in my home. I will wait till after the kids to enjoy glassware again.
Ominous Jan 26th 2012 5:35PM
Will these be available abroad, through that store?
I suppose e-bay is a certainty, but it I'd be surprised if that company didn't want to ship to other countries.
Jaladar Jan 26th 2012 6:01PM
According to the AM/PM website this promo starts February 7th just FYI
nemitz384 Jan 26th 2012 9:18PM
wow needs to remember that their is more than the west coast. everything they do is in the west coast how about hosting blizzcon in chicago or ny.
w
Arrohon Jan 26th 2012 10:31PM
Yep, let's have everyone fly across the country to do a convention that already costs them more than they make from it, when almost all of Blizzard that's there lives within driving distance of Anaheim.