• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, April 12, 2012

Dr Pepper has partnered with Marvel Entertainment for a multiplatform campaign centered around a series of eight collectible cans featuring superhero characters from “Marvel’s The Avengers.”

A movie of that name starring Robert Downey, Jr., from Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures, is set for release on May 4.

The collectible cans are available for a limited time in stores nationwide. 

Dr Pepper is also offering a free, custom game on DrPepper.com, “Skrull Takedown,” which enables fans to emulate their favorite Avengers characters (as they appear in a New Avengers comic book) and fight with the alien-shapeshifter Skrulls. Fans can share their scores and challenge friends to join in on the action via Twitter and Facebook.

A new, 30-second TV spot is supporting the tie-ins. The playful ad -- which shows a group of young men and women suddenly revealing themselves as superheroes to go after a purse-snatcher -- includes a cameo by Stan Lee, the legendary comic book writer, producer and television personality who was for a time president, then publisher, of Marvel Comics.

The TV spot, which also includes a promotion for the movie, can be viewed on Dr Pepper’s YouTube channel.

The brand’s tie-ins are designed to provide fans with an “Avengers” experience that they “can’t get anywhere else,” said Dave Fleming, Dr Pepper’s director of marketing.

In a separate, current Dr Pepper promotion, specially marked 20-ounce bottles of Dr Pepper, Diet Dr Pepper and Dr Pepper Cherry and Diet Cherry have codes under their caps that can be entered on the brand’s site for a chance to win an Xbox 360. Participants need to sign in using their Dr Pepper accounts or social logins to determine if they have won.