Agency: A&E Television
Client: In-House
Hammertime is a reality show centered on MC Hammer, the 1980s/90s rapper, entertainer and dancer, and his family, as they live their not-so-simple lives in Tracy, California. The team was charged with promoting the program in a way that differentiated it from other reality shows, with the objective of generating mass awareness and tune-in to the show’s premiere. The target audience was adults 25 to 49, with a slight female skew and a median age of 40.
The team produced the “Hammer Pants Dance” viral video. The campaign began by seeding stores with a few “employees” wearing ’90s style gold, baggy, parachute Hammer pants, to promote recognition. Then, a group of 60 amateur dancers flash mobbed a Los Angeles clothing store on Sunset Boulevard, grabbing previously planted Hammer-inspired pairs of gold baggy pants, put them on and “spontaneously” performed the artist’s moves to the tune of his 1990 hit “U Can’t Touch This.”
A video of the event was placed on YouTube, and generated 1.5 million views. It was also featured on pop and news sites. In addition, the Hammer Pants Dance was shown on Good Morning America, Live with Regis and Kelly and ESPN. Hammertime premiered with 673,000 adults 25 to 54.
