There will be no escape from Alcatraz this month, as Citytv rolls out a major multi-platform marketing campaign in support of its newest primetime series.
The Rogers Media-owned network has put considerable marketing resources behind the latest project from Lost co-creator J.J. Abrams, including 30-second promos running across Rogers-owned TV and radio stations in major markets including Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto.
The on-air ads are being supported by print ads in Rogers-owned publications including Connected and Marketing (which is running a six-panel character and cast poster in a special polybagged issue), as well as display ads appearing across its digital network.
On Alcatraz’s premiere day, Jan. 16, the Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver editions of the free commuter paper Metro will feature cover wraps promoting the show. Street teams clad in prison uniforms will distribute the papers.
The Metro papers will also feature a QR code linking people to the “Alcatraz Unlock the Mystery” contest, which gives viewers a chance to win a trip for two to San Francisco, where they can visit Alcatraz Island – home of the infamous prison that gives the show its name. The contest will also receive social media promotion.
Koreen Ott, director of marketing, entertainment for Rogers Media, said the campaign is the largest ever undertaken by Citytv for a mid-season series, but that Abrams’ reputation – established by his work on shows including Lost, Fringe and Alias, as well as blockbuster motion pictures including the Mission Impossible franchise – make it a perfect candidate for extensive marketing support.
“This was one of the most buzzed-about shows coming out of the May 2011 screenings,” Ott said. “With the pedigree of J.J. Abrams, the stellar ensemble cast and Alcatraz itself, there’s a real story to tell.”
The series is also receiving extensive out-of-home support including transit shelter ads, digital and static mall posters, and billboard spectaculars in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, as well as homepage takeovers and display ads across a variety of ad networks.
A 60-second cinematic-style trailer for the show also ran prior to screenings of several major holiday blockbusters, including Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The spot also aired during the season finale of Citytv’s fall show Terra Nova and during its 27th annual Citytv New Year’s Bash.
All of the creative elements were developed in-house, with media buying handled by OMD Canada.
