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'Glee' Pilot Doubles as a Marketing Tool

  • TV Week, Tuesday, April 28, 2009 9:32 AM

In a first for the TV industry, a network is using a pilot for a show not as the beginning of a series, but as the start of a marketing campaign. Fox is bowing "Glee," a musical comedy series, on May 19, and will not air the second episode until late August or September.

"We're looking at May 19 as the world's largest grassroots screening," says Joe Earley, Fox marketing executive. Fox hopes that those who watch the pilot will generate buzz about the show throughout the summer. To keep the buzz going, the network intends to make "Glee" ubiquitous, so people can sample it immediately. The pilot will be available on various Web sites including Hulu and Fox. com, as well as on free DVDs.

In other promotions for the series, "Glee" characters will show up on Twitter and Facebook and extended "featurettes" will air in movie theaters throughout the summer. In addition "Glee" ads will appear at major concerts and street teams will visit recreational venues during holiday weekends.

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