7-Eleven Blasts Off With 'Check in to Space' Promo and Sweepstakes

DALLAS -- 7-Eleven is going out of this world with its monthlong promotion for the movie "Super 8," which hits theaters June 10. One grand-prize winner will receive a zero-gravity suborbital space flight, the company announced.

"Super 8" takes place in 1979 Ohio and features a group of adolescent amateur filmmakers who witness a devastating train crash and soon discover the accident is more than what it seems.

"’Super 8’ begs the proverbial question, are we alone? I believe with 99 percent certainty that we are not," said Nick Pope, former UFO investigator for the British Ministry of Defense. "Earthlings have always been curious about extraterrestrial life, yet only a handful of people have had the privilege of traveling to space. Now, with this contest at 7-Eleven, one brave adventurer will get the chance to join this elite group."

To promote the film, 7-Eleven is offering a special Super Big Gulp cup that features the "Super 8" poster art and movie scenes; "8"-themed specials on items that end in the number 8 such as 88-cent brownies or two 12-ounce cans of Red Bull for $4.98; and a special display of retro candy brands priced at 98 cents, or two for 98 cents.

The c-store operator also launched a "Check in to Space" sweepstakes that will award a total of 21,475 prizes to customers who check in at 7-Eleven stores using the social media platform, Foursquare.

"As part of our exciting 2011 summer season, 7-Eleven is providing value to consumers with a fun promotion tied to the “Super 8” movie," said 7-Eleven’s Chief Marketing Officer Rita Bargerhuff. "Not only will there be special prizes and a retro look from the 1970s at the stores in honor of the movie, [but] this promotion will rank as the largest ever for 7-Eleven with an expected 21,000 prizes distributed. Topping it off will be a suborbital space flight, our grandest prize ever."

To enter, customers only need to use their smartphones to check in with Foursquare when they visit a 7-Eleven store. Prizes are awarded when the number of check-ins reaches predetermined thresholds related to the number eight.

Every 88th person to check in will receive a free movie ticket; every 88,888th person to check in will receive a ticket to Zero Gravity Corp.'s "Zero G Experience," a commercial flight that lets passengers experience virtual weightlessness without leaving the Earth's atmosphere; and the 888,888th person to check in will win the grand prize, a suborbital space flight with Space Adventures Ltd. that will let them experience true weightlessness and view the curvature of the Earth.

"We hope fans enjoy the movie and share in the thrill of this unique space-based sweepstakes," said Jesus Delgado-Jenkins, 7-Eleven's senior vice president of merchandising, marketing and logistics. "Some adventurous customers will get the chance of a lifetime with a zero-gravity flight experience, and one lucky winner will receive what could just be a life-altering suborbital trip to space."

Customers can check in every three hours at a single 7-Eleven and at as many different locations as they want. The company will keep a tally of total check-ins regularly updated on its Twitter feed, as well as its Slurpee and 7-Eleven Facebook fan pages.

For more information on the sweepstakes and the official rules for entry, visit www.7-Eleven.com/checkintospace.