Nat Geo WILD made a concerted effort this year to say that in the world of shark-related programming, SharkFest is… also there.
Due to the network poking fun at itself in its tongue-in-cheek campaign this year, SharkFest has recorded a 60 percent boost in ratings, putting it in second place for sharks the week of July 5.
In its announcement, Nat Geo WILD humbly points to the original Shark Week:
“At the finish of this year’s annual week of shark TV” it says, “SharkFest proudly finished as the second highest rated network airing programming honoring the apex predator.”
Net Geo WILD also follows up on its original campaign spot, which makes a pointed nod to the reason it’s called SharkFest in the first place.
“We’re not that other week of shark TV,” said comedian Rory Scovel in the original promo. “We want you to confuse the two. And you will. And we don’t care — because it gets us ratings.”
“And it did,” said SharkFest’s ratings statement.
Comparing itself to national sports teams that had to claim second place, Nat Geo WILD released a statement saying that it’s proud to be compared to and to come in just behind Shark Week over on Discovery.
“You know what they say about sharks,” said Nat Geo WILD SharkFest mascot, Shark on the Street. “It’s not the ones you see that you have to worry about. It’s the ones you don’t see.”
Nat Geo WILD says that it will plan a similar strategy for next year, premiering at the same time as Discovery’s Shark Week 2016.
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