• by Wayne Friedman , June 8, 2010

TBS has found a new way market a TV show: Pitch it for a Emmy Award before even the first show has aired.

That's what the cable network is doing for Conan O'Brien -- albeit with a series of faux, funny trade ads in preparation for his show that will start on TBS in November.

Summer is a heavy period for TV shows eager for Emmy hardware. The Emmy awards typically air at the start of the new season. Many TV shows vie for attention with a number of "For Your Consideration" print ads in trade magazines.

In one print ad, a shot of a serious-looking O'Brien comes with the message: "Give this man one more thing to Tweet about." After his highly public exist from NBC, O'Brien took to leaving comic messages on Twitter about his ouster.

There's another message as well, pitching O'Brien for a different sort of Emmy category -- alluding to the comedian's famous pallor: "Outstanding Achievement in the use of SPF 50."

At the bottom of both ads reads: "From your friends at TBS."

TV networks do a lot of heavy lifting in producing and placing these trade ads for their TV shows -- all to get nominations. This isn't likely to happen with NBC, since the network and O'Brien parted ways. Still, executives say it's possible that O'Brien could be nominated anyway -- for his TBS efforts.

And if that isn't enough, there's one more bit of comic irony should O'Brien get nominated -- or even get an award. The event will air Aug 29 on NBC.