Movie Promotional Items

1. Lunchables

Mini Lemony Snicket stories distributed in and on packages of Lunchables in the months prior to the movie release. The Dismal Dinner stories are usually considered a canon supplement to the series, as they were written by Daniel Handler himself (according to a Los Angles Times interview, which stated "Handler did wind up staying intimate with the production, reworking and endowing promotional material with his fey wit and writing up special Lemony Snicket stories to go into Oscar Mayer Lunchables").

• • The Dismal Dinner: a four-part saga of the Baudelaires (pre-fire) at their parents' fourth-to-last dinner party. Each story was printed on the underside of the cardboard lid of a Lunchables Fun box. The edges of the cardboard were scored so that the story could be punched out and folded into a booklet. Collecting all four parts revealed the secret message "Olaf was there".

  • The Daily Punctilio: three paper booklets included inside Lunchables Mega packages. Each booklet contained a news article about a Count Olaf disguise.

2. Aflac

Stuffed toy duck with a bib and sound effects. Distributed in goody bags at the movie premiere in Los Angeles.

3. Burger King

Plastic toys included with the purchase of a kid's meal at Burger King. Primarily an international promotion, as the toys were available in several other countries but not in the U.S.

• • "Olaf’s Awful House: What is lurking in Count Olaf's house? Open the windows and doors to see the fantastic lenticular images of the movie."

  • "Leaping Leeches: See the leeches jump into the boat beside Baudelaire children by pressing down on the tail of the middle leech. The leeches will jump into the boat and score points depending on where they land."

  • "Eye-Spy Telescope: This magical telescope comes complete with its own set of mystery cards. Extend the telescope to see faraway things or flip down the red lens and see hidden pictures on the mystery cards."

  • "Slithering Snake: Kids will love this slithering action snake with glow in the dark eyes. Hold it by the tail and wiggle to see its slithering action."

  • "Violet’s Stone Skipper: One of Violet's famous inventions! Launch the rocks by loading them into the front and pushing the toy along."

  • "Magically Morphing Olaf: Everyone's favourite character, Count Olaf! Flip the picture frame upside down and, as if by magic, another one of Count Olaf's disguises will appear."

6. Country Inns & Suites

Summer Family BookBreak Package Featuring Lemony Snicket: an activity kit included with the reservation of a family package stay at a Country Inns & Suites hotel between May 1 and September 15, 2004. Hotel room keys were also Snicket-themed.

Package contents:

• • Green bookbag with the hotel's logo

  • Lemony Snicket-themed activity book

  • Doorhanger/bookmark with The Bad Beginning cover illustration

  • A stand-up cardboard portrait of the Marvelous Marriage cast (same as that included in The Bad Beginning Rare Edition)

  • Sheet of four temporary tattoos with illustrations of Olaf, the Baudelaires, and the VFD eye logo

  • Rainbow colored pencil

  • Hi-C juice box

  • Packet of Austin Sandwich Crackers

(Thank you to Angela for providing the magazine advertisement!)

1. San Diego Comic-Con 2004

The first wave of movie promos appeared at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2004. The items being distributed were:

• • Your Beloved Count Olaf: a parody of autographed headshots. 8x10-inch glossy black-and-white photograph of Jim Carrey as Count Olaf, with a (printed) autograph in one corner reading, "Your Beloved Count Olaf".

  • Trading cards: fourteen possible designs featuring illustrations from the movie's credit sequence. Cards 1-12 were "commons"; the thirteenth card (two possible designs) was limited to thirteen copies worldwide, and finding one meant the bearer received an invitation to the movie premiere in Los Angeles. Distributed in shrink-wrapped packages, with each package containing three trading cards plus a header card explaining the sweepstakes. After the movie's release the thirteenth card was published in the Official Movie Magazine.

  • Temporary tattoo: with the redesigned movie version of the V.F.D. eye logo. Distributed at both San Diego Comic-Con 2004 and E3 2004.

2. Halloween

• • Double-sided trick-or-treat bag advertising the A Series of Unfortunate Events movie on one side and the SpongeBob SquarePants movie on the other side

  • Double-sided bookmark with "Halloween Safety Tips", advertising the A Series of Unfortunate Events movie on one side and the SpongeBob SquarePants movie on the other side

3. Radio

Cube-shaped, battery-powered radio. Side panels contain promotional color logos for three Paramount/Nickelodeon movies: A Series of Unfortunate Events, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Barnyard.

4. The World of “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” Notations and Recollections by Brad Silberling

Press book containing behind-the-scenes photos and comments from the director of the movie. Sent as advertising to newspaper and magazine movie reviewers in the months prior to the movie release.

7. Paper replicas

Possibly distributed in goody bags at the movie premiere.

• • Orphan's Court Certificate of Guardianship

  • Decree of Adoption

  • Mr. Poe business card

  • Count Olaf business card

8. Booklight

Possibly distributed in goody bags at the movie premiere.

9. Compass

Possibly distributed in goody bags at the movie premiere.

10. For Your Consideration

Sent to members of the Academy for their Oscar deliberations.

• • Soundtrack CD

  • Movie DVD

11. DVD release

White cardboard pin and white t-shirt distributed to video store employees to advertise the DVD release. Pin depicts Count Olaf holding the DVD with the tagline “You'll Be Begging for This DVD April 26”. T-shirt depicts illustrations from the movie's credit sequence with the tagline "Clever, Likeable, Doomed".

12. Press Kit (U.S. version)

Folder containing a "Handbook of Production Information" with background information about the movie and a "Press Kit Photography CD-ROM" with publicity stills from the movie. Sent as advertising to media organizations in the months prior to the movie release.

13. A Behind The Scenes Look At A Series Of Very Fortunate Events

Publicity CD-ROM distributed for the movie. The only copy I have found is too scratched to play, so I am unsure of its contents.

1. Model of Count Olaf’s arson lens

Small model of the window-mounted lens Count Olaf uses in the movie to commit arson. Distributed to the staff of Industrial Light & Magic, the movie's special effects contractor.

2. Baseball cap

Black baseball cap: front reads “Treachery. Misery. Woe.”, back reads “Unfortunate Crew”. Distributed to movie crew members.

3. Bathrobe

Grey terrycloth bathrobe with an embroidered red patch on the back. Patch is shaped like the redesigned movie version of the V.F.D. eye logo and reads "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Crew". Distributed to movie crew members.

4. Athletic jacket

Zippered athletic jacket (black with white stripes). Front reads “Unfortunate Crew” with the redesigned movie version of the V.F.D. eye logo. Distributed to movie crew members.

5. Hat and scarf set

Possibly distributed to movie crew members.

• • Black beanie hat embroidered in white with the redesigned movie version of the V.F.D. eye logo

  • Black fleece scarf embroidered in white with the redesigned movie version of the V.F.D. eye logo

1. Pencil case

Black pencil case "made from recycled tyres"; front reads “A Series of Unfortunate Events Treacherous, troublesome tales by Mr Lemony Snicket” with the redesigned movie version of the V.F.D. eye logo.

2. Shoulder bag

Black shoulder/book/laptop bag; front reads “A Series of Unfortunate Events Treacherous, troublesome tales by Mr Lemony Snicket” with the redesigned movie version of the V.F.D. eye logo.

3. Preview folder

Preview folder containing cast and story introductions, concept art of the sets, and movie stills. Sent as advertising in the months prior to the movie release.

4. Press Kit (U.K. version)

Folder containing production information and character description cards. Sent as advertising to movie theaters in the months prior to the movie release.