Turner Broadcasting’s truTV is launching a new multimillion dollar promo campaign reinforcing the network’s recent rebranding as a comedy destination.
The TV spots make fun of traditional promos while highlighting the stars and creators of its original programming. The campaign also introduces a new tagline: Funny Because It’s Tru.
The spots feature, among other things, logos that fall on people and wind machines that knock people over.
"Executing this new campaign required more than a clever concept, witty direction and talented stars and collaborators,” said Puja Vohra, executive VP, marketing and digital for truTV. “It required a creepy clown, an overzealous wind machine, a clawfoot bathtub and 200-ish pounds of gold Mylar. And fortunately, we had all of that. Not sure why, but we did."
The promotional effort follows a cut in the number of spots the network runs, a move designed to improve the viewer experience and to make individual spots more effective.
The brand campaign includes spots that feature multiple shows. There are also spots that highlight individual shows, such as Impractical Jokers, Adam Ruins Everything and I’m Sorry.
Among the performers appearing in the campaign are Abbi Crutchfield, Adam Cayton-Holland, Adam Conover, Amanda Seales, Andrea Savage, Andrew Orvedahl, Ben Roy, Bobcat Goldthwait, Brian Quinn, Brooke Van Poppelen, Damien Lemon, Guy Branum, Hari Kondabolu, James Murray, Joe Gatto, Jon Glaser, Kevin Pereira, Maria Thayer, Matthew Latkiewicz, Michael Carbonaro, Molly Austin, Prentice Penny, Sal Vulcano and Shamikah Martinez.
Orvedahl gets knocked out by the truTV logo in some of the spots. (They end with a card that reads “In Loving Memory. Andrew Orvedahl. 1976-2016.) Savage gets blown away in others.
The spots will run on truTV and on Turner's Adult Swim and TBS. Spots have also been bought on other national cable channels and VOD platforms targeting comedy fans.
The campaign will also appear on social and digial platforms, including Twitter's Thursday night NFL webcast.
Billboards will be erected in New York's Times Square, L.A.'s The Grove and other high-profile locations.
The campaign was created by ad agency WorkInProgress. The spots directed by Jake Szymanski, who also directed comedies including Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates.
A concurrent print campaign was shot by photographer Andrew Eccles.
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