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As Keifer Sutherland (24) goes from protecting the president to being the president in ABC’s new series Designated Survivor, the network launched a strategic campaign around the 2016 political conventions to promote the show.
“I can’t think of any other network broadcast series premiering this fall that feels more organic in surrounding these two political arenas,” said Marla Provencio, executive vice president, marketing, and chief marketing officer, ABC Entertainment.
Designated Survivor premieres Wednesday, September 21 at 10 p.m.
The series tells the story of a lower-level cabinet member who ends up having to become president after a major disaster devastates Washington.
With the country focused on the Republican National Convention from July 18 - 21 in Cleveland and the Democratic National Convention from July 25 - 29 in Philadelphia, ABC’s campaign includes national and localized elements that draw from the Designated Survivor tagline “Our Next President Will Not Be Elected.”
“We wanted to take that idea and make some noise from it,” said Victoria Chew, VP, strategic marketing partnerships, synergy and franchise, ABC Entertainment.
Sixty-second spots that incorporate the line will air on both CNN and Fox News during the conventions — ideally as close to the main speeches as possible. ABC is also using a paid Twitter campaign to target users talking about the conventions on social media.
On a local level, Chew said it made sense to use out-of-home marketing elements to drive awareness about the show as a whole.
These include 30-second promos in taxis across Cleveland and Philadelphia, along with exterior ads on buses and trains in both cities — including a full train wrap in Philadelphia — digital ads at Philly’s AT&T Station, and on-air mentions by ABC Radio when broadcasting about the political conventions.
“We wanted,” Chew said, “to really take advantage of the RNC and DNC.”
RELATED: Sutherland Goes From Protecting the President to Being the President in ABC’s ‘Designated Survivor’
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