HOUSTON, May 8, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- More than 43,000 entries -- an extraordinarily high number of entrants -- vied to be among the winners of free DVDs every day for a year as part of industry leader TNR Entertainment Corp.'s first-of-its-kind consumer promotion at all 1,600 of its The New Release(tm) locations in 28 states. The first names drawn to each win 365 days of free movies have been announced by TNR, the nation's largest owner and operator of self-service DVD rental kiosks in supermarkets and grocery stores.
"The unprecedented response to our promotion is even more remarkable since marketing efforts were principally driven through in-store signage, posters and flyers and on the company's website," said Tracy Walker, Executive Director of Sales & Marketing for TNR.
Every day during the six-week promotion, one lucky shopper's name was randomly chosen to receive free movies for a year. The winners receive a New Release-branded Visa check card with $365, plus tax pre-loaded.
"The success of this promotion has far exceeded our expectations, and we congratulate our first group of winners. Significantly, we've introduced the concept of $1-per-day DVD movie rentals at our kiosks to thousands of new customers in the grocery channel and generated increased traffic for our retail partners -- exactly what we set out to accomplish," Walker added.
The first group of winners announced represented seven states and major TNR channel partners. Among the first winners' names drawn were:
Texas (4): Melissa Boyer, Dickinson; Marilyn Gloetzner, Corpus Christi; Cindy Peters, Cedar Park; Gina Tristan, Houston; Tennessee (3): Greg Cole, Thompson Station; Kayce Crew, Knoxville; Susan Stevens, Westmoreland; Georgia (2): Sally Baldwin, Marietta; Kathy Howell, Griffin; Pennsylvania: Bonnie Fogle of Monroeville; Florida: Bess Lucking of Boynton Beach; Kansas: Leshia Medeiros of Shawnee Mission; Kentucky: Marek Stvol of Covington.
Walker said the appeal of a year's worth of movies with the added convenience of renting DVDs at The New Release(tm) supermarket/grocery store kiosk was a powerful combination. The daily giveaways were promoted through in-store special kiosk signage, posters, flyers and via The New Release website. No purchase was necessary to enter, and both new and existing The New Release renters were welcomed to participate. Entering the promotion was either online at www.thenewrelease.com or with a mail-in entry form on flyers at TNR's rental kiosks.
Shoppers picked up entry forms at any of the 1,600 The New Release(tm) kiosks in such grocery chains as Dillon's, Food 4 Less, Food Lion, Fry's, H-E-B, Kroger, King Soopers, Publix, Quality Food Centers, Ralph's, Roundy's/Pick 'N Save, and Spartan/Family Fare across the country. For a complete listing of the Company's supermarket and grocery store locations, see the geographic search section of TNR's website, www.thenewrelease.com.
TNR is currently underway on a significant national expansion program, increasing installations of its The New Release automated DVD rental kiosks to provide supermarket customers with a more convenient one-stop shopping experience. As the Company's kiosks are being introduced in new markets, more consumers are able to enjoy renting the latest DVD titles for $1-a-day and no late fees -- a simple and affordable pricing structure that TNR was the first to successfully market. Unlike its competitors, TNR's kiosks house up to 1,000 units each, representing more than 200 titles, including top new releases. The fully-automated kiosks operate on a wireless communications network and next-generation DVD kiosk operating system.
Privately-held TNR Entertainment, based in Houston, dominates the self-service DVD rental category in the grocery channel. Led by TNR's management team of CEO Richard B. Cohen and COO Jeff Karbowiak, the Company's aggressive growth plans call for continuing national expansion of its retail locations. TNR completed a capital infusion of $45 million last year to support this major effort.
Based in Houston, Texas, TNR Entertainment Corp. is backed by an institutional investor group including Celerity Partners, LP of Los Angeles; Chapton Partners, LP, a Houston family partnership; Laminar Direct Capital, LP, a member of the D. E. Shaw group of companies; and MCG Capital Corporation (Nasdaq:MCGC), a leading specialized financial services company and financial advisor.
The TNR Entertainment Corp. logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3383