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UPN rolls out the marketing muscle for 'Everbody Hates Chris' campaign

By Suzanne C. Ryan
Boston Globe
(September 8, 2005) Fly American Airlines this month, and you're likely to be offered a soda, a blanket, and a look at the premiere episode of the fall comedy ''Everybody Hates Chris."

In fact, you'll get the chance to watch the UPN sitcom, based on the childhood of Chris Rock, before the rest of the country, as the show doesn't debut until Sept. 22.

In an effort to get a jump on what it hopes is the sleepy network's hottest program ever, UPN has rolled out a marketing campaign like no other in its 10-year history.

For the month of September, the entire pilot is airing in front of captive audiences on a whopping 13,000 American Airlines flights. That translates to about 2 million potential viewers. Last year, UPN's most popular series, ''America's Next Top Model," averaged 5.1 million weekly viewers.

The network has also distributed more than 1 million bumper stickers and T-shirts and almost 2 million DVDs of the pilot to the public, using street teams in major cities. About 850,000 DVDs will also be inserted into the Sept. 16 issue of Entertainment Weekly.

Ads for the program are adorning billboards and buses nationwide, including 5,000 buses in New York City alone. Paramount Home Videos has released a 60-second ad for the show on the DVD release of ''The Longest Yard." ''The Honeymooners" and ''Mad Hot Ballroom" will follow next month.

''My job is a lot of fun right now," said Rachel Clark, UPN's senior vice president of marketing. ''My girlfriend called me and said that she was driving her 8-year-old to school and when they pulled up to a bus and saw the ad, her daughter said 'Mommy, why does everyone hate that boy?' That made my day."

At the local affiliate UPN38, Kenny Lawrence, the director of marketing and creative services, has gone into overdrive. His team has distributed 10,000 ''Honk If You Hate Chris" bumper stickers in Greater Boston. On Newbury and Boylston streets, it has passed out 4,000 yellow T-shirts and 5,000 DVDs of the pilot. Last weekend, at the Comedy Connection, the team handed out a few hundred additional DVDs. And the station has just purchased 200 spots for ads atop taxis.

''This show is a blast to work on," Lawrence said. ''We've never been this aggressive behind a brand new sitcom before. But I can't think of another sitcom with this much anticipation. Even 'Seinfeld' took a year to build."

''Everybody Hates Chris," which will air Thursdays at 8 p.m., is loosely based on Rock's childhood in Brooklyn, N.Y., in the early 1980s. The comedy will focus on a teenager named Chris who must adjust to living in a new neighborhood while also establishing himself at an all-white middle school two hours away, where he is bused every day. On the program, which Rock co-created with Ali LeRoi, the comedian will serve as narrator and an executive producer.

During the Television Critics Association conference in July, Rock said that, contrary to published reports, he plans to stay actively involved in the production and will approve the scripts and the jokes. ''I don't think I've ever done anything and walked out. My name is Rock, not Chappelle, he said, referring to comedian Dave Chappelle, who walked away from his Comedy Central show this year.

Although Rock has six siblings, his TV family will have only three children, including Tyler James Williams, who will star as Chris. ''Writing a show with seven kids is hard," Rock said, adding that during the casting process, he just focused on finding funny people.

''It's not exactly my family . . . I changed it just enough so I couldn't get sued by my family, because they'll sue you," he joked.

The show has been scheduled in a tough time slot opposite ABC's ''Alias," CBS's ''Survivor: Guatemala," and Fox's ''The OC." In the past, comedies about minority characters, in general, haven't been widely watched by affluent white audiences -- who are the people many advertisers target.

But advertising executives who have seen the pilot say they're confident in the show's prospects.

John Rash, director of broadcast negotiations for Campbell Mithun Advertising in Minneapolis, said audiences typically splinter because the comedy genre is so personal. ''Comedic locations are often within families or within the manufactured families of a group of friends," he said. ''It's significantly more difficult to make a sitcom that has broad sociological touch points. The same dynamic plays out on the big screen. You can have a constituency for 'Monster-in-Law' and 'Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,' but never the two shall meet."

''Everybody Hates Chris" should break that mold, Rash said. ''Everybody will love this well-written, well-acted comedy. It's distinct in style but similar in appeal to 'The Cosby Show' a generation before. This is a show that is proudly about the African-American experience, but the greater theme is about growing up."

If the show does fail, Rock can't blame it on the marketing.

''This is the first time we've done something this comprehensive," UPN's Clark said. ''We really hope we get some traction."

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Wabash Ave. Suite 210 Chicago, IL 60604 t. 312-408-1881 f. 312-408-1867 info@targetmarketnews.com	THE LATEST NEWS UPN rolls out the marketing muscle for 'Everbody Hates Chris' campaign By Suzanne C. Ryan Boston Globe (September 8, 2005) Fly American Airlines this month, and you're likely to be offered a soda, a blanket, and a look at the premiere episode of the fall comedy ''Everybody Hates Chris." In fact, you'll get the chance to watch the UPN sitcom, based on the childhood of Chris Rock, before the rest of the country, as the show doesn't debut until Sept. 22. In an effort to get a jump on what it hopes is the sleepy network's hottest program ever, UPN has rolled out a marketing campaign like no other in its 10-year history. For the month of September, the entire pilot is airing in front of captive audiences on a whopping 13,000 American Airlines flights. That translates to about 2 million potential viewers. Last year, UPN's most popular series, ''America's Next Top Model," averaged 5.1 million weekly viewers. The network has also distributed more than 1 million bumper stickers and T-shirts and almost 2 million DVDs of the pilot to the public, using street teams in major cities. About 850,000 DVDs will also be inserted into the Sept. 16 issue of Entertainment Weekly. Ads for the program are adorning billboards and buses nationwide, including 5,000 buses in New York City alone. Paramount Home Videos has released a 60-second ad for the show on the DVD release of ''The Longest Yard." ''The Honeymooners" and ''Mad Hot Ballroom" will follow next month. ''My job is a lot of fun right now," said Rachel Clark, UPN's senior vice president of marketing. ''My girlfriend called me and said that she was driving her 8-year-old to school and when they pulled up to a bus and saw the ad, her daughter said 'Mommy, why does everyone hate that boy?' That made my day." At the local affiliate UPN38, Kenny Lawrence, the director of marketing and creative services, has gone into overdrive. His team has distributed 10,000 ''Honk If You Hate Chris" bumper stickers in Greater Boston. On Newbury and Boylston streets, it has passed out 4,000 yellow T-shirts and 5,000 DVDs of the pilot. Last weekend, at the Comedy Connection, the team handed out a few hundred additional DVDs. And the station has just purchased 200 spots for ads atop taxis. ''This show is a blast to work on," Lawrence said. ''We've never been this aggressive behind a brand new sitcom before. But I can't think of another sitcom with this much anticipation. Even 'Seinfeld' took a year to build." ''Everybody Hates Chris," which will air Thursdays at 8 p.m., is loosely based on Rock's childhood in Brooklyn, N.Y., in the early 1980s. The comedy will focus on a teenager named Chris who must adjust to living in a new neighborhood while also establishing himself at an all-white middle school two hours away, where he is bused every day. On the program, which Rock co-created with Ali LeRoi, the comedian will serve as narrator and an executive producer. During the Television Critics Association conference in July, Rock said that, contrary to published reports, he plans to stay actively involved in the production and will approve the scripts and the jokes. ''I don't think I've ever done anything and walked out. My name is Rock, not Chappelle, he said, referring to comedian Dave Chappelle, who walked away from his Comedy Central show this year. Although Rock has six siblings, his TV family will have only three children, including Tyler James Williams, who will star as Chris. ''Writing a show with seven kids is hard," Rock said, adding that during the casting process, he just focused on finding funny people. ''It's not exactly my family . . . I changed it just enough so I couldn't get sued by my family, because they'll sue you," he joked. The show has been scheduled in a tough time slot opposite ABC's ''Alias," CBS's ''Survivor: Guatemala," and Fox's ''The OC." In the past, comedies about minority characters, in general, haven't been widely watched by affluent white audiences -- who are the people many advertisers target. But advertising executives who have seen the pilot say they're confident in the show's prospects. John Rash, director of broadcast negotiations for Campbell Mithun Advertising in Minneapolis, said audiences typically splinter because the comedy genre is so personal. ''Comedic locations are often within families or within the manufactured families of a group of friends," he said. ''It's significantly more difficult to make a sitcom that has broad sociological touch points. The same dynamic plays out on the big screen. You can have a constituency for 'Monster-in-Law' and 'Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,' but never the two shall meet." ''Everybody Hates Chris" should break that mold, Rash said. ''Everybody will love this well-written, well-acted comedy. It's distinct in style but similar in appeal to 'The Cosby Show' a generation before. This is a show that is proudly about the African-American experience, but the greater theme is about growing up." If the show does fail, Rock can't blame it on the marketing. ''This is the first time we've done something this comprehensive," UPN's Clark said. ''We really hope we get some traction." Go to Target Market News homepage	11th Annual Edition Available 'Buying Power' report reveals surge by black households for consumer electronics Despite tighter economic times, African-American households are significantly increasing their expenditures on consumer electronics for the home, according to the newest edition of The Buying Power of Black America report. In many categories such as video games, televisions, CD players, cable TV service and sound equipment, black households are spending more on average than their white counterparts. According to the 103-page report, black households had $656 billion in earned income in 2003, an increase of 3.9% over the $631 earned in 2002. Read more and see the latest expenditure figures for black consumers SUBSCRIBE TODAY! The trade publication for in-depth coverage of Black Consumer Marketing and Media news ORDER THE WORKBOOK NOW! The sixth annual event examining the latest trends, findings and practices in marketing to African-American consumers Presentations from: America Online Arbitron Inc. Burrell Carol H. Williams Advertising E. Morris Communications Ethnic Print Media Group GlobalHue Hunter-Miller Group Images USA Nia Online NSights Worldwide LLC On Wheels Inc. R.J. Dale Advertising & P.R. Target Market News U.S. Census Bureau ...and more!