March 30, 2009

CableFAXIES Awards—PR Stunt: A&E and NMA Entertainment & Marketing for The Andromeda Strain Decontamination Chamber

It’s not easy competing against the opening weekend of the fourth installment in the Indiana Jones saga. That’s why A&E worked with NMA to develop a "decontamination chamber" for its miniseries The Andromeda Strain, pitching the tent at major events like Comic-Con and the Kentucky Derby that collectively drew nearly 3 million attendees. More than 450,000 visited the chamber, where "lab workers" in hazmat suits escorted "guests" into the pitch-black area and showed them the series trailer. A&E said more than 95% of chamber visitors said they’d watch the show, which became one of the network’s highest-rated programs.

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Honorable Mentions:

BBC America Robin Hood Season 2: As part of its marketing campaign for the second season of Robin Hood, BBC America dispatched its own band of merry men to perform good deeds on the streets of Philadelphia.

Cartoon Network/Turner Broadcasting for Turkey, Stuffing and ‘Rickrolls’ for all our Friends at Thanksgiving: Tapping into the popular Internet meme "Rickrolling," Cartoon network snagged Rick Astley for a surprise performance on the Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends float at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Outdoor Channel for Are You Ready for the Big Time? CTAM Stunt: To promote its first scripted series, Outdoor Channel sponsored a snack break at last year’s CTAM Summit featuring the stars of its new mockumentary show Jimmy Big Time.

Starz Entertainment for I Know Who Killed Me: Talk about toxic assets — Starz owned cable rights to the singularly awful Lindsay Lohan flick I Know Who Killed Me. Nonplussed, Starz marketed it to the hilt, emphasizing scathing reviews and its multiple awards as one of the worst films of ’08. Columnists and bloggers took the bait, and Starz continues to get press hits for this lemonade-from-lemons stunt.

Oxygen for Welcome Home! Tori & Dean: Oxygen rolled out red carpets at be-seen spots in Los Angeles, allowing patrons to join in welcoming home Tori and Dean for the third season of their show, whose premiere was the most-watched season debut on Oxygen.

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