Live Alligators in NYC Draw Crowds, Press for “Swamp People”

The History channel and its agency, Civic Entertainment Group, have converted 5,600 square-feet of space in New York City’s trendy Chelsea Market into a Louisiana swamp. At first blush, it may seem that the strategy behind the event is to broaden viewership for the premiere this week of “Swamp People” to include hip New Yorkers and their circles of friends, but the plan is much broader than that.

Like much of what an event like this is staged to do, it is about public relations. It’s about attracting the media’s attention and hoping that word and images will spread like wildfire of alligators caged in a downtown marketplace where up to 24,000 people stroll through each week to lunch at one of the many eateries or visit a local business.

“New York is the media capital of world. Part of the beauty of something like this is that it is totally unexpected and that creates some buzz and conversation,” Chris Meador, vice president of consumer marketing at History, said.

“Swamp People,” is entering its third season. On Feb. 9 the stories will begin to unfold again about the men and women living off the land in the inhospitable Louisiana marshes and back bayous of America’s largest swamp. The story follows the day-to-day activities of Cajuns during the 30-day alligator-hunting season.

“When we look at the ratings, we’re pulling a number well above ‘Deadliest Catch,’ which is a huge brand. Our strategy is to get ‘Swamp People’ into the popular vernacular and get people talking about it in terms of the press,” Meador said. “In the life of a show there’s that season where you have that opportunity to make it bigger and we feel this is the season to turn it into a huge mega hit for the network.”

The various components of the event, called “Swamp in the City,” work to bring elements of the series to life. More than 6,500 gallons of water support live 15-foot cypress trees, over 1,000 live plants indigenous to the swamp, and, of course, the main attraction, American Alligators and Red-eared Slider Turtles that can be viewed from a dock extending above the water.

In partnership with Louisiana Tourism, an area is set up where visitors can experience Cajun flavor and culture. Louisiana chef John Folse has prepared free samples of Gumbo and Crawfish Etouffee. Stars from the show, including Bruce Mitchell, Trapper Joe & Tommy and Troy/Jacob & Chase Landry, rotate in and out as the event progresses. Live Cajun and Zydeco music from Sac Au Lait is played and authentic crafts by Cajun and Creole artisans are displayed. Visitors can also enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to Louisiana, courtesy of www.LouisianaTravel.com.

To extend the life of the event beyond Chelsea Market, people can keep an eye on the gators on a live Gator Cam.

So how does one get alligators into a New York City market? It’s not an easy task. First, skeptical owners of the space have to agree to temporarily house wild animals that have been known to chomp on people. History and Civic conducted extensive research in high-traffic areas—Grand Central Terminal, Bryant Park and locations in Times Square—before finding a match with the Chelsea Market.

“As we went through it, our biggest concern was that we didn’t want to make a commitment to a venue and as we got into it they would say, ‘you can’t have six alligators, you can only have two,’ and we’d be too far down the road to change the venue,” Seth Grossbard, vice president of Civic Entertainment Group, said. “The only compromises you want to make are about the event itself not something the partner doesn’t want to do. Chelsea being excited about the program made them a great choice. It’s unexpected and the media buzz would drive people to the market.”

Then the question became, how do you get the alligators to the event site? It’s difficult to bring alligators across state lines so Civic worked with a local New York State licensed handler who brought the gators in and managed them at all times.

“It’s difficult because it’s something you don’t request on a regular basis,” Grossbard said.

The event began Feb. 2 with special guests including Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne, chef Folse and Louisiana State Parks Naturalist Erin Sullivan. Students from New York public schools were introduced to the six-foot long alligators and given an intimate lesson about conservation and life in the swamps of Louisiana. It closes Feb. 12.

History’s Meador said the payoff, so far, has been successful.

“As a marketer you have to be careful how you spend money,” he said. “The goal was not just foot traffic, but the media we got out of it and how can we turn this investment into a bigger opportunity. Some 130 different digital outlets picked up an [Associated Press] article. That’s a huge return in earned media and partners. Internally, when people hear what we actually spent the end result has more than justified the budget.”

Street teams, Metro cover-ups and radio DJs doing live remotes from the event all helped bring people to the event. In general, to market “Swamp People” History taps all of its internal media assets as well as external, like the Super Bowl spot it ran last Sunday. And last year, Civic won a Pro Award for its “Taste of Bayou” food truck promoting the second season of “Swamp People,” serving up more than 12,000 samples of Cajun cuisine.