If you haven’t heard of Illumination Entertainment’s new movie “Hop,” then you’ve probably been living under a rock or on some deserted island (and let’s face it, likely aren’t reading the Peepshow). However, if you’re like me, you might find yourself amused to see where in the world it’s going to pop up next.

I know that as a parent, I probably should be a bit turned off by all the marketing toward my children, but as a marketer, I’ve been pretty impressed with some of the integrated programs I’ve seen tied to this spring’s blockbuster hit.

Of course, the timeliness of the subject matter immediately caught my kids’ attention from the first trailer they saw (yes, they are believers), but from there, it showed up as a trivia game in their online community at Webkinz world. We had to watch another trailer and when we guessed the trivia questions correctly, the kids received a virtual bunny, complete with the main character’s signature flannel shirt and drum set.

Next, the “Hop” logo appeared on our Bolthouse Farms bag of carrots reminding us to get to the theater. I later came across a press release informing me that Bolthouse Farms Baby Carrots were now the “official snack” of the Easter Bunny. And, once we got to the theater, plenty of Bolthouse Farms product placements ensured we remembered just what brand of carrots the Easter Bunny prefers.

Kodak is touting its “end-to-end” involvement with the film, beginning with the Kodak equipment that was used to capture the live-action shots in the film to the consumer facing Hop-themed contest on Facebook – not to mention a number of point-of-sale materials and themed kiosks in between.

You also can unlock a Hop-themed level in the popular iPhone game Doodle Jump and the list of “Hop spottings” goes on and on. Some might find it to be a bit much, but I think they have found a number of relevant and engaging ways to reach the target audience. What do you think? Smart marketing, or just another case of a big budget movie going too far?