Court TV Plays Detective Via Street Team Stunt

Court TV is hitting the streets with a new promotion a la private eye in an effort to boost its newest series, Parco P.I.

The network will send 60 street team members to New York City, Detroit, Coney Island and Jones Beach seeding Parco P.I./Court TV-branded binoculars to consumers on Aug. 27 and 28. Court TV plans to distribute 25,000 mini binoculars as part of the promotion.

To build more awareness, Court TV is hitting the beaches with an airplane pull touting an ad for the show, which reads, ‘Parco is Watching.”

“We want to be on the streets making that hand-to-hand connection,” said Kathi Palminteri, senior director, consumer promotions for Court TV. “We want to be online…where a large number of our audience spends their time. We want to be everywhere. It’s a good way to reach consumers.”

Parco P.I. is a new reality/docu-drama from Court TV that follows the Parco family, New York City private eyes, as they crack cases and expose secrets at their private investigation firm. The series premieres Aug. 28 10 p.m.

Court TV this week is also adding radio promotions in 20 markets to extend the promotions. Listeners must call in a story in which they spied on a situation or caught someone doing something to win a Court TV-branded prizes.

Consumers also have a chance to use their private eye skills and win $10,000 as part of the Parco’s Watching sweepstakes. Consumers can enter the sweepstakes starting Aug. 26 by playing an interactive game at Courttv.com/contest. In the game, players must follow and spy on someone, but can get online clues from Vinny Parco via real video.

The grand-prize winner will receive $10,000; the first-place winner will get 60-inch LCD TV.

The sweepstakes is open to consumers 21 and older. TV spots, radio spots and Internet materials support. Knight Agency, New York, handles the sweepstakes. New York City-Based Go Gorilla handles street teams.

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