Sometimes you have to wonder if soap opera publicity departments actually want their shows to be publicized. Even when exciting storylines come along they are sometimes nowhere to be found in the press except for a half page interview in Soap Opera Digest which doesn't inspire anyone new to watch. But throughout the past year, things have started to improve in some areas. GUIDING LIGHT reached out to the online community and began running ads on local radio stations and taking full page ads out several national magazines. The show was really forward thinking in this space. DAYS OF OUR LIVES has also reached out to internet journalists recently having an online media day on set. There were non-stop ONE LIFE TO LIVE ads on Lifetime running last weekend. GENERAL HOSPITAL has done quite a bit of press for the debut of James Franco (although that particularly casting piques interest on its own).AS THE WORLD TURNS invited media to join the "Never Surrender Tour" as the show visited Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Greenville (where We Love Soaps was invited to tag along).
This week there are full page ATWT ads in TV Guide, People and Entertainment Weekly. If you open the back cover of EW, you'll see a great picture of Jack and Carly. The ad teases: "She's desperate to find him. He's on the run to find himself." And it proclaims "the most dramatic November ever in Oakdale!" ATWT has been exciting this November as Jack traveled the country looking for answers and a way to help Katie and her baby. Major kudos to the soap for recognizing they had a hot storyline and promoting it properly.
What other examples of "good" advertising and promotion have you seen this year? And where do you think the soaps have fallen short in promoting their product?
EDITOR'S NOTE: Click the image to see a larger version.
Great ad. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteATWT & OLTL are my two favorite shows. The writing has been outstanding on both.
That's a great ad! And I love it that they used the compass!
ReplyDeleteThey should promote all the soaps during primetime. There is no excuse, we get thousands of primetime ads during daytime, even the closing credits are now gone thanks to the primetime promos but the primetime audience never gets to see what is going on during daytime. Why? Do they think daytime audience is a braindead totally unemployed,boring housewifes, vegetable audience that does not have a life besides watching TV 24 hours a day while Primetime audience is intelligent, sexy, has a stable job or is employable (they can't watch daytime during office hours so why bother with soap promos during primetime, right?)and has a high IQ by the way. Give me a break! Give me two breaks! The lack of respect for daytime audience, daytime shows and daytime cast and crew is appalling.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the ad looks good.
I amazes me how many people don't appreciate the soaps - and the fact that each soap creates FIVE one-hour shows a week, every week, for years and years - now that's talent and hard work. All the glory goes to programs who manage to crank out maybe 13 fair to middlin' eppisodes a year.
ReplyDeleteIt's a great ad, I agree - and long overdue. Surprised to see it in my Entertainment Weekly.
ReplyDeleteBut I was about to post something about it....
....because who the HELL is the woman in that ad?
Maura West is a lovely, gorgeous woman. But the woman in that ad seems to be some Photoshopped, evil fembot version of her. It really doesn't look like her all that much.
I don't know, Patrick. When I saw her in Greenville, I was amazed at how Maura looked better than ever.
ReplyDeletebruno1, I really miss the closing credits. And TV Land actually adds more commercials and runs closing credits over the actual ending of classic shows now. I wonder how long before other networks do that?
patsarts, one reason why I show the ratings for all soaps, daytime and primetime is to point out that daytime shows have more viewers than many of their much more hyped counterparts.
I'm thinking TestBlog is referring to Desperate Housewives? I never watched it until the reruns came on this summer. It sure can't hold a candle to GL and ATWT that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteI take it you're speaking for the 'poweres-that-be that give daytime soaps no respect?
Good job Roger! =]
I think bruno was referring to what it seems like the perception of viewers is from the powers that be sometimes.
ReplyDeletebruno1 - I totally 'got' that it was the perception, not your opinion.
ReplyDeletepatrick - LOVED the fembot line!
roger - I love it that your site creates such dialog about soaps!
as for maura west = thank the gods she's back, the show was sorely lacking without her, and so glad that carly is over craig and back to chasing jack!
Roger - I agree Maura looks fantastic (motherhood agrees with her, for sure).
ReplyDeleteI just think that picture doesn't look like her. I thought it was Arianne Zuker for about 5 seconds.
But good for P&G for capitalizing on advertising. Hopefully, they'll use traditional ads and social media to make a big splash.