SCI FI'S NEW SERIES, 'EUREKA,' SUPPORTED BY "INVENTIVE" PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN
Faux Info-Mercials; Search Engine and "Blog" Viral Marketing; Image and Tune-In Promos Cleverly Combine For A Distinctively Innovative Promotion
New York � August 15, 2006 � SCI FI Channel's newest scripted series, 'Eureka,' airing Tuesdays @ 9pm ET/PT, is supported by an array of innovative marketing tactics designed to capitalize on the uniqueness of this one-of-a-kind series. 'Eureka' is a remote Pacific Northwest hamlet whose inhabitants just happen to be geniuses with a penchant for wild and sometimes dangerous inventions. For years, the government has been relocating the world's geniuses to the picturesque town, where the nation's greatest thinkers secretly usher in the next generation of scientific breakthroughs. But 'Eureka' is more than just a destination. Along side cast members Colin Ferguson ('The Opposite of Sex'), Salli Richardson-Whitfield ('Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid'), and Debrah Farentino ('CSI: Miami'), the town of 'Eureka' holds its own as a "character" in this unique show, where inventions play supporting roles that drive the plot of each weekly episode.
"With its fresh, smart and modern spin on the whole sci-fi fantasy genre, 'Eureka''s fun-filled community of quirky characters are the perfect vehicle to entice a broader and more mainstream audience to sample the network for the first time," said Dave Howe, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SCI FI.
"The 'Made in Eureka' campaign leverages today's multimedia technologies to introduce an even broader audience to the creative innovations that distinguish this exciting new series," comments Adam Stotsky, Senior Vice President, Marketing, SCI FI. "By imagining a wild range of genius-inspired innovations, we created a fully integrated campaign designed to give viewers a declassified glimpse into what's so special about 'Eureka.'"
Off-air spoof "info-mercials" starring real-life QVC Queen of the Info-mercial, Pat Murphy Stark, showcase various products developed in 'Eureka.' The spots throw to 1-866-40EUREKA and to www.MadeinEureka.com where shoppers acquaint themselves with an array of cutting edge, future-forward inventions such as the Cryo Kennel, for quick -freezing pets during extended vacations, and custom-made Plasma Screen Interior Walls, for that drive-in experience at home.
Attempts to purchase any of the 'Eureka' engineered products result in being entered into a national consumer sweepstakes to win the real-life next generation of HD/DVD players, the Sony HDTV and Blue-ray player. The ads air on Comedy Central, Spike, E! Entertainment Television and The History Channel, and in some cases, are strategically scheduled in between other info-mercials. Radio spots also reinforce the "Made in Eureka" campaign.
In collaboration with search engines Google and Yahoo, the network purchased key words such as "flat screen" and "HD DVD" to literally highjack web surfers, delivering them directly to www.MadeinEureka.com, where shoppers soon realize they've entered a new dimension in online shopping.
Faux info-mercials and related-banner ads with "Made in Eureka" product descriptions also run within a host of blog sites, popular among tech enthusiasts, such as medagadget and The Daily WTF. The ads also appear within highly trafficked technology blogs, like Engadget and Gizmodo, which concurrently runs a "Made in Eureka" contest where contestants submit invention ideas to rival those of the citizens of 'Eureka.'
In addition to on-air tune-in spots, specially designed "concept promos" drive tune-in while skillfully introducing viewers to this extraordinary town of intellectually curious inventors where literally anything can happen. Steven Diller of MJZ productions directed the spots with special effects by a52 productions.
--"Cloud"-- A beautiful day is spoiled by the antics of a devious child with a weather-altering remote control.
--"A New Home in Eureka"-- A ball rolled onto a field suddenly opens up into a fully finished pre-fab home.
--"Boat"-- When an urgent phone call cuts short a day on the seas the boat simply lifts out of the water to reveal an elaborate mechanism of walking legs that quickly deliver the fisherman to shore.
--"Skateboards and Basketball"-- Moody teenagers jealously eye a basketball court until a series of skateboard ramps emerges from the asphalt.
Print and on-air creative executions utilize carefully placed "keyholes" and over-the-white-picket-fence "framing" to evoke a feeling of eavesdropping on the strange inhabitants of this bizarre town.
Advertising efforts entail the full range of media including TV, radio, print, and online buys. But even traditional marketing comes with a SCI FI twist as 150 lenticular (or hologram) Bus Shelters across New York and Los Angeles enable people to experience 'Eureka''s Main Street in 3-D.
SCI FI Channel is a television network where "what if" is what's on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 85 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.
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