Canada’s major television broadcasters have launched a secretive marketing campaign designed to prove the efficacy of the medium to advertisers.
A cryptic 30-second spot that began airing last week features a man extolling the virtues of television as he sits/lies beside people as they watch shows on their TVs and tablets.
As shows from Canadian networks including CBC, CTV, Global Television and City play in the background, a man informs viewers: “We all love TV. After all, you can get lost in it. Find yourself. Escape in it. Cheer with it.”
The spots direct viewers to a web site, TunedIn.ca, where they are invited to download a free iOS or Android app. They are then told to watch TV at 8:58 p.m. EST on Feb. 6 to discover how they can find themselves on TV.
The only clue to the campaign’s origin is a mention of the Television Bureau of Canada (TVB) in the website’s privacy policy. TVB is the industry body created to promote the medium to advertisers and agencies.
TVB president Theresa Treutler did confirm that her organization is behind the initiative, but declined to provide further details. “It is a TVB initiative, and that’s pretty much all I can say at this point,” she said.
The campaign’s mysterious nature brings to mind a similar 2010 program by the industry, in which a series of TV ads appeared to extol the virtues of broccoli.
The “Miracle Food” campaign led to an 8% increase in year-over-year broccoli sales in the two markets where sales were tracked, Ontario and British Columbia. An additional 484,238 pounds of broccoli was sold during the campaign period, with 13% of consumers saying they had purchased at least one more bunch of broccoli in their last shopping trip compared to the pre-campaign period.
