Film Critic Leonard Maltin to Host First Ever Twitter Vine Auction in Support of Honda’s Project Drive-In.
In less than three months, many of the 368 remaining drive-ins across the U.S. will go dark forever if they cannot afford to convert to digital projection, estimated at $75,000+ per screen. In support of Project Drive-In, Honda’s national effort to save as many drive-ins as possible, the automaker is hosting a one-day live Twitter Vine auction on Thurs., Sept. 12, starring renowned film critic Leonard Maltin as auctioneer. Proceeds will go directly to Project Drive-In: Save the Drive-In Fund.
How to Get Involved: Project Drive-In’s Twitter Vine Auction
Starting at 10 a.m. PT, a Vine video will post on the @Honda Twitter account showcasing at least eight items available for auction. Each item will be opened up to bidding when that item-specific Vine video is tweeted out with information detailing the minimum bid price and auction closing time. To participate in the auction, bidders will tweet the title of the item, bid price and hash tag #DriveInAuction. The highest bid at the close of the auction wins. @Honda will tweet the winning bidder who will then be directed via @Honda direct message to a payment page on the Project Drive-In fundraising Web page. The auction will conclude at 2 p.m. PT.
Auction items include:
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 plush toys, autographed poster, concept artwork and Hollywood VIP package featuring tickets to the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 premiere and tour of the Sony Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation studio lots
- Four Disneyland park hopper tickets and four Aquarium of the Pacific tickets
- Basketball and license plate signed by Maroon 5, headlining the 2013 Honda Civic Tour
- Private suite experience at Paramore concert (headlined 2010 Honda Civic Tour) at Honda Center on Oct. 19, includes tickets and catering for 16 people
In addition, a Honda-donated 2014 Odyssey Touring Elite® is available on the Project Drive-In fundraising Web page for $50,000 and will be promoted during the auction. The donation will not only award the winning bidder with the brand new Odyssey minivan, but also help fund an additional digital projector and save another drive-in from closing.
Project Drive-In launched on Aug. 9 by Honda to raise community awareness of the plight of drive-ins, award digital projectors to five drive-ins as determined by public voting (closed Sept. 9) and to provide simple ways for people to get involved in an effort to ensure that this historic part of American cinema and car culture lives on.
The five winning theaters will be revealed in mid-September, and each will host a celebration that includes a special screening of Sony Pictures Animation’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, in theaters everywhere on September 27.
“Project Drive-In has sparked so many heartwarming stories and dedicated communities determined to save their drive-in culture that Honda feels compelled to do even more,” said Alicia Jones, Manager of Honda & Acura Social Marketing at American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
“We want to help people keep their drive-ins open, so we have launched this auction utilizing Vine and Twitter to help get more people involved by leveraging a medium where people are already talking about #SaveTheDriveIn.”
Disney Hollywood Studios keeps the tradition alive in their Sci Fi Dine In! (photo: wdwland.com)
