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Movies

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Film targets soul; tie-ins hit wallet

– Eat, pray, love, shop?

There are plenty of opportunities to plumb the depths of your pocketbook, if not your soul, when the anticipated adaptation of the best-selling memoir “Eat, Pray, Love” hits theaters next Friday.

Look for candles and moisturizing creams; jewelry, book marks and tote bags; a branded digital reader pre-loaded with the book; a Republic of Tea blend; a line of designer clothing by Sue Wong; and a weekend special on HSN filled with products pegged to the movie, including prayer beads, scarves and hundreds of other items from the countries the story’s main character visits on her quest for self.

“Eat, Pray, Love” follows author Elizabeth Gilbert, a 30-something magazine writer trying to escape an unsatisfying marriage and rediscover an excitement for life. The film is directed by “Glee’s” Ryan Murphy and stars Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, James Franco, Richard Jenkins and Billy Crudup.

Adapting such a popular book – especially with women – into a star-studded film makes it the ideal marketing opportunity for dozens of products, says Ryan Schinman, chief of Platinum Rye, an entertainment marketing company not working with “Eat, Pray, Love.”

“Eat, Pray, Love” is a brand, he notes, so products that partner with the film become associated with a beloved book as well as the movie stars who tell the story on screen.

“It doesn’t have to be a Marvel or Disney film to have different products,” he says. “The entire point of these tie-ins is for brand awareness or to sell more product,” and that applies both to the partnering brands and the film itself.

Another bonus is that each licensed product helps advertise the movie, potentially offsetting the studio’s promotional costs. Plus, big-budget, highly anticipated films such as “EPL” often come out during key seasons, like Christmas and back to school.

Creating a collection of “Eat, Pray, Love” jewelry, tote bags and bookmarks was “a totally natural fit” for Dogeared Jewels & Gifts, says founder Marcia Maizel-Clarke.

“We love being associated with something that’s so powerful, like the journey of this woman who found out who she was,” Maizel-Clarke says. “The brand awareness for us is going to be great.”

HSN developed 72 hours of programming (which begins airing today) to showcase its “Eat, Pray, Love”-related products. The network never aligned itself with a film before, but “this lines up with our core audience, which are women,” chief executive Mindy Grossman says.

“It’s really about finding the perfect marriages that work,” Schinman says. “If you want to help sales and get more viewership, film is a terrific way to do it.”