In a year when box office receipts are down 8 percent, Universal Pictures studio executives have aligned a first-rate cast of co-marketers to help promote its December 14 release of King Kong, AdAge writes (via MediaBuyerPlanner). Promotional partners include Burger King, Nestle, Kellogg, Volkswagen, Toshiba, and New York City, for a total estimated promotional value of $100 million in addition to the $30 million or so that the studio plans to spend.

Volkswagen premiered the Kong trailer on its website in June, with a 100-fold increase in traffic as a result.

Volkswagen's ads, centered on the Touareg sports utility vehicle, show how the car was used by the Kong crew to make the movie on location in New Zealand. There will be 5,000 King Kong-branded Touaregs produced.

Universal has covered most of the demographic spectrum, from Kellogg and Nestle children- and teen-centric promotions on cereals and candy bars to Burger King, Toshiba, Chase and Volkswagen's adult-oriented promotions.

Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson is helping to produce ads for some of the promotional partners' campaigns, hoping the custom digital effects that blend the marketers' icons with the movie's characters will ensure success.