HSN Finally Reveals Details Of Its ‘Eat Pray Love’ Promotion With Sony Pictures

Weeks ago when we asked HSN about a big event it had planned in conjunction with the release of the movie “Eat Pray Love,” we didn’t really get a response. We wrote what we could garner about the event from HSN.com.

Well, Tuesday HSN announced that it was partnering with Sony Pictures to support the launch of the film.

HSN modestly says that it “will be executing the most comprehensive 360-degree marketing campaign in its history, including 72 hours of original programming on Aug. 6, 7, and 8 featuring unique products themed around the movie.”

“Eat Pray Love,” based on the best-selling novel and starring Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem, will be released Aug. 13.

“There are very few retailers out there that have the breadth and depth of HSN,” Marc Weinstock, president of worldwide marketing for Sony Pictures, said in a canned statement. “This is a unique promotion that taps into its power as a content, community, and commerce platform, and we are excited to have them on board as a partner. This is a great opportunity for us to reach our target audience while extending the ‘Eat Pray Love’ experience on the weekend prior to our release this August.”

HSN, which reaches 95 million homes in the U.S., has a customer base that’s about 83 percent female between the ages of 30 to 50 years old, with an above-average income. Its website is a Top 10-trafficked e-commerce site.

Padma Lakshmi will be part of HSN's Eat Pray Love extravaganza

“‘Eat Pray Love’ is an event motion picture for women, and we are very excited to partner with Sony Pictures in an alliance that allows us to support the film while also providing immersive content and product experiences for our core female consumer,” HSN Mindy Grossman said in her canned statement.

“Our customers will be able to experience the journey of traveling through Italy, India and Bali as we bring ‘Eat Pray Love’ to life through stories, engaging personalities and unique products that complement the themes expressed in the movie,” she said. “We have no doubt our customers will love ‘Eat Pray Love’!”

HSN will leverage multiple platforms to deliver a 360-degree experience for consumers in support of Eat Pray Love: TV, online, mobile, print advertising, public relations, events and direct mail.

The 72-hour “Eat Pray Love” on-air event will incorporate appearances by more than 20 of HSN’s partners and brands and feature more than 400 unique items across a variety of categories, including beauty, electronics, home decor, travel, cooking, jewelry, accessories and ready-to-wear.

You’ll be seeing wares from Naeem Khan, Robin by Me & Ro, Rebecca Moses, Padma Lakshmi, Lancome, RK by Ranjana Khan, Hutton Wilkinson, Carlton Varney, Sony Electronics, Nicky Butler, V by Eva, Tagliamonte, Sajen Silver, Dalia, Clever Carriage, Casa di Francesca and Sarita Handa.

In line with the movie, HSN programming during the event will focus on three different countries: Italy on Aug. 6; India on Aug. 7 and Bali on Aug. 8 – Bali.

Bestseller “Eat Love Pray” was written by Elizabeth Gilbert. Here’s what the HSN press release says about her.

At a crossroads after a divorce, Gilbert takes a year-long sabbatical from her job and steps uncharacteristically out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life. In her wondrous and exotic travels, she experiences the simple pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy; the power of prayer in India, and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of love in Bali. Based on an inspiring true story, ‘Eat Pray Love’ proves that there really is more than one way to let yourself go and see the world.

NBC Universal Chief Jeff Zucker, His PR Folks And His Talent Host Holiday Party For Media At 30 Rock

We just got back to Jersey after attending NBC Universal’s party for the press. The soiree Tuesday night, held on the 52nd floor of 30 Rock in Manhattan, was officially off-the-record. But we can certainly tell you who we saw there.

As we were checking our coat, Kathie Lee Gifford was putting on her’s and leaving. Her NBC morning-TV partner, Hoda Kotb, was still inside at the shindig.

The event, sponsored by NBCU chief Jeff Zucker and his communications team, came on the heels of news that the nation’s largest cable operator, Comcast, was buying the home of the Peacock Network along with its stable of cable channels, which includes USA Network, SyFy, Bravo, Oxygen, CNBC and MSNBC. The seller is General Electric.

A shirt-sleeved Zucker briefly addressed the gathered media, and made some funny jokes about the coming merger (we can’t say what, it was off the record, remember?)

There were both NBCU talent and suits at the holiday party. NBC News anchor Brian Williams, a Jersey guy, stopped by, as did Lester Holt, Ann Curry and Amy Robach from “The Today Show.” Jimmy Fallon popped by when the party was ending.

As for execs, in addition to Zucker there was NBC Cable Entertainment chief Bonnie Hammer, Bravo honcho Frances Berwick, NBCU’s women’s and lifestyle chieftain Lauren Zalaznick, CNBC president Mark Hoffman and “Saturday Night Live” creator and producer Lorne Michaels.

We have written about Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” for NewJerseyNewsroom.com, and NBC has big home shopping connections and affiliations.

First of all, GE/NBC currently owns about 32.5 percent of ShopNBC on a fully diluted basis of 37.6 million shares. NBC’s 6.4 million shares represent 16.8 percent ownership and GE’s 6 million common stock purchase warrants represent 15.7 percent.

Secondly, the stars of several of NBCU’s cable show have home shopping lines, including: Tori Spelling, who is in Oxygen’s “Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood,” on HSN; Rachel Zoe, from Bravo’s “The Rachel Zoe Report,” on QVC; Isaac Mizrahi, who hosts Bravo’s “The Fashion Show,” on QVC; Padma Lakshmi, from Bravo’s “Top Chef,” on HSN; and Ramona Singer from Bravo's "The Real Housewives of New York City." on HSN.

The party gift was a DVD of the third season of NBC’s “30 Rock,” appropriately.