Days before it hits the airwaves, NBC is already getting a jump-start creating buzz around its new comedy series, The Office, via the Internet and a designated online community.
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| NBC and MySpace.com give viewers a sneak peak at The Office American Style |
NBC recently partnered with online site
MySpace.com to showcase its new comedy and create an online environment and blogs for fans to interact with one another. Under the partnership, MySpace.com last week aired an episode called
Diversity Day in advance of the series’ premiere within its community of about 11 million users.
This marks the first time NBC has debuted a complete episode of a network series online.
In addition, MySpace.com unveiled a Webisode or a cut-down version of
Diversity Day for on-demand customers. The 13-minute featurette is available to view anytime throughout the month. To build further interest, fans can join
The Office group on MySpace.com and share their own office stories via personal profiles and blogs. Consumers must register to be part of
The Office online group on MySpace.com.
“We sought to get the show sampled by ‘influencers’ whom we thought would be most receptive to the humor, timing and subject matter of the show,” explained Vivi Zigler, senior VP-marketing and advertising services for The NBC Agency. “It is a unique show and the best way to showcase that is by letting [people] see it.”
“This is about getting a great show sampled by just the right people,” Zigler continued. “It’s about generating buzz…a slightly different goal than that of our paid media that supports the show.”
The Office offers a look into the humor and foolishness that plagues office workers. NBC’s version is based on the award-winning BBC hit. The series premieres at 9:30 p.m. ET March 24. The
Diversity Day episode will air on March 29, 9:30 p.m. ET—the show’s regularly scheduled day and time.
To keep fans hooked as the show moves to its new time slot, NBC will stage a guerrilla marketing effort the morning following the premiere, Zigler said.
NBC will station “office workers” outside office buildings in seven major cities. Street teams will wear sandwich boards that say “My Boss Sucks” as they greet people entering the building, Zigler said. Teams will hand out business cards that say “petty behavior,” “zero productivity,” “all in a day’s work,” she added.
The network plans to target New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Seattle and Boston as part of the guerrilla marketing effort, Zigler said.
Internet materials, print ads, radio and TV spots will support the overall series’ launch.
Fans can also enter a sweepstakes to win an “office” party at their place of business and a private screening of an episode. The Win the Office at Your Office sweepstakes is open to consumers 18 and older. Fans can enter the sweepstakes by visiting
MySpace.com/theoffice to complete an entry form.
One grand-prize winner will receive a catered office party for up to 20 people and a viewing of an episode of
The Office. The winner will be announced on April 6. The sweepstakes runs through March 30. Internet materials support. NBC Universal, Inc. sponsors.
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