Corus Entertainment’s CMT Canada is launching a campaign to promote two new reality shows starring country folks who struck it rich.
CMT, which focuses on country music lifestyle programming, will air Bayou Billionaires and My Big Redneck Vacation beginning Feb. 1. Bayou Billionaires features the Dowden family, who discovered their home sits on the fourth-largest deposit of natural gas in the U.S. My Big Redneck Vacation, hosted by Tom Arnold, follows the real-life Clampets as they take over a Hamptons beach house for the summer.
CMT is supporting the launch with a four-week marketing campaign that includes TV spots, radio and online advertising. The shows, which already air in the U.S., will also receive exposure from Corus-owned specialty channels, radio stations and websites.
In the campaign, developed in-house, “our play on it is ‘red is the new black’ and ‘let your red out,’” said Laura Baehr, vice-president, networks & marketing, kids and family division, Corus Entertainment. The light-hearted campaign sets of the tone of the series, “which is off-the-wall humour and a lot of laughter,” she added.
Corus will cross-promote across its properties as well. Baehr said YTV, for example, will air promos only for Bayou Billionaire, as it’s “very family-friendly and a solid co-viewing show… And in other places we’re ramping up the redneck aspect.”
A Facebook gift app lets senders finish this statement: “If I were a billionaire, I’d ‘bayou’ a…” And with Valentine’s Day approaching, the app lets users choose virtual tongue-in-cheek “country” gifts to send to friends and loved ones, including a hotdog toaster and beer can helmet.
“As we move away from TV, we get a little edgier,” said Baehr.
