The Tomb Raider franchise will be supported by a massive television, print, radio and online campaign to support the release of the video game and Paramount Pictures' Tomb Raider film sequel "The Cradle of Life" scheduled for US release on July 25, 2003. Lara Croft will also have a very high-level television presence this summer via key partnerships with Paramount, Visa, Panasonic and Jeep. Print buys for Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness have been scheduled for July through September issues of men's magazines including Maxim, Stuff, and FHM along with an 18 city outdoor campaign to include bus kings, shelters, and billboards along with live radio reads on the "Howard Stern Show" in the same 18 markets. "The Cradle of Life" film will be supported by heavy advertising and promotions with partners Panasonic and Jeep's "Rubicon."
"We have created the biggest and most diverse Tomb Raider marketing campaign to date," said Chip Blundell, Director of Marketing at Eidos US. "With marketing partners including Paramount, Visa, Panasonic and Jeep, Lara Croft will not only dominate the gaming industry, but build on her status as a major pop culture icon," continued Blundell.
In Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, the gaming world's most famous heroine returns as both hunter and hunted relying on her ingenuity, athleticism and a new edge to her personality. The game also introduces a new playable character, Kurtis Trent, who works alongside Lara to help clear her name from a murder suspicion and clean up a most desperate situation. Players must traverse an intricately detailed world, taking them from the back streets of Paris to the depths of Prague.