Global’s heating up winter with a big promo push for its mid-season entry, Canadian teen drama Falcon Beach — and the net’s deploying a slew of non-traditional tactics to nab attention. The 13-episode series about life in a beach town makes its TV debut on Thursday, Jan. 5 at 8 p.m. – directly competing with CTV’s The O.C.
Beginning December 26 for four weeks in Toronto, Global will be rolling out the Falcon Beach Bowl – a branded flatbed truck complete with a plexiglass frame housing sand, surf and bathing suit-clad models. Models wearing Speedo (a promo partner) will be sampling branded merchandise, handing out frisbees and hand warmers tagged with the ‘it’s hot’ theme. Joining in on the fun are the PixMen who will be spooling previews of the show, with music from Falcon Beach’s upcoming CD by artists Broken Social Scene and Kathleen Edwards. Montreal-based Gearwerx experiential marketing created the Bowl, which will be seen at various events including hockey games, near nightclubs and at university campuses.
David Hamilton, VP of marketing at CanWest says the net has partnered with Universal Music for the launch of the CD halfway through the show’s run.
‘The music will be taken directly from each episode and will feature up and coming, cool Canadian acts,’ adds director of marketing Jamie Schouela
Bringing more heat to the street, guerrilla marketing teams outfitted in Speedo in Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton will also be deployed, along with yet more PixMen. An in-mall component in those markets has also been established netting retail partners such as Bikini Village (in Toronto), Swimco (in Vancouver and Calgary), and Swimwear Etc. (in Winnipeg and Edmonton). A Falcon Beach-branded contest entitles shoppers to win a Speedo Prize Pack.
In addition, Global’s also partnered with Cineplex to host special in-theatre sneak previews for viewers in Winnipeg, Toronto and Vancouver, with Falcon Beach cast members in tow. Fans in attendance at each screening will also have a chance to win trips to Bermuda.
On-air promos have already begun on Global and across other CanWest properties. Working with the tag line, ‘it’s hot,’ the net created ads with burnt edges – with mock ads next to Falcon Beach ‘burning up’ as well. The creative can be found in major dailies, commuter papers, theatres, transit shelters, in health clubs’ change rooms and at university and college campuses.
‘People can be sitting in the train, looking at the ads and having fun with them,’ says Walter Levitt, SVP of marketing at the net.
Throughout the series, a forced viewing contest will give away a trip for two to the 2006 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Creative and media buys for the promos were done in-house.
