Saturday, August 21, 2010

The Singing Bee on CMT



Agency: CMT
Client: In-House


Formerly on NBC, The Singing Bee ended its original run on CMT in mid-2009 and ranked as the network’s highest-rated series of the year. With an abundance of singing competition shows on various networks, CMT wanted to create a breakthrough marketing campaign that would drive adults 18-49 to watch the new season.

With a $40,000 budget, the network employed a combination of paid advertising and existing resources, such as on-air promos, website assets, and the CMT radio network. Driven by host Melissa Peterman, a faux PSA campaign pulled at consumers’ heart-strings in a tongue-in-cheek way, asking them to “Help Save The Lyrics Before It’s Too Late.”

Savethelyrics.com was launched. Then a “Help Save the Lyrics” promotional mailer was shipped to radio station DJs in more than 150 markets to encourage on-air chatter. The outside box was designed to catch the DJs’ attention with misheard lyrics such as “hit me with your pet shark” and “all my exes lift in dresses” printed in a yellow font on a black background to emphasize the “bee” theme. Once open, a light-censor device made the box come alive with the buzz of live bees. Materials included: a bee-shaped USB with:30 PSA TV and radio spots and links to CMT’s social networking sites, The Singing Bee calendar featuring series tune-in reminders, a “Help Save the Lyrics” letter from CMT, and branded pens and notebooks.

Print, outdoor and a Facebook page supported the campaign. In addition, during the Music City Bowl, CMT brought The Singing Bee to Nashville and played the game with 15,000 loyal Fans at the football game’s Battle of the Bands, handing out 10,000 branded premiums. During the Bowl’s Kentucky vs. Clemson game, the show’s Mobile Text-to-Win game was featured on the Jumbotron and 87% of those who played entered the correct answer.

Overall, ratings for the second season of The Singing Bee across 10 premieres were up 17% over the first season, and was the highest rated original series of the year, as well as a top 10 in the history of CMT. 

River Monster’s Piranha Flash Mob



Agency: Pierce
Client: Animal Planet


The first season of Animal Planet’s River Monsters was the highest rated series in the channel’s history. Each episode featured River Monsters host, biologist and extreme angler Jeremy Wade, as he traveled to a new location around the world to unravel the mysteries and myths behind elusive fresh-water fish that strike terror in the hearts of locals and TV viewers alike.

For season 2, Pierce was charged with building on season 1’s success and building excitement for the April 25th season premiere. They created a stunt program that brought the River Monsters experience to life by unleashing a school of deadly piranha in New York City through a fleet of five smart cars decked out to look like larger than life fish.

A few days before the premiere, the piranha cars hit the streets. All cars were customized with top and back fins. One was built out with a video monitor showcasing show content out of the back window. Everywhere they went – Grand Central Station, 42nd street, Broadway, Columbus Circle, etc. – the Piranha moved as a school, sticking together as they navigated the city, entering traffic circles, taking over parking spots and waiting at red lights.

A team of River Monster anglers traveled on foot to create street buzz for River Monsters and complemented the school of smart cars. Wearing branded fishing vests and hats, the anglers drew consumers in with intriguing questions such as: “Did you know that River Monsters is not just about killer fish, it’s about a man chasing a legend?” Having baited consumers with questions, the Anglers offered them tune-in cards featuring the date and time of the premiere, plus a fish koozie compliments of River Monsters.

During the April 23rd and 24th events, Animal Planet tweeted photos of the piranha out and about in the city. They teased their impending arrival in Times Square and offered everyone who tweeted a photo of the cars the chance to win a River Monsters DVD. On Facebook, the brand posted images of the cars and provided updates about their trip throughout the city.

The campaign was a tremendous success and helped River Monsters make history for Animal Planet. It was the channel’s best season premiere among people 18-49 (971,000) and 25-54 (879,000), and brought in more than 1.7 million viewers, scoring a 1.3 household rating and ranking among the top 5 among ad-supported cable at the 10:00 P.M. time slot.

River Monsters anglers interacted with more than 15,000 consumers over three days. More than 77,000 online consumer impressions and 1,3 million vehicle impressions were generated. They even received requests from people who wanted to buy the piranha-shaped smart cars after the promotion was finished.