Cases

How do you make a new TV reality series into an entertainment phenomenon?

In March 2002, Ogilvy's Entertainment practice, B|W|R, pitched a new Fox series based on the wildly popular UK reality show Pop Idol. Our challenge was to make the summer reality series "American Idol" as popular as the UK original, and to overcome the perception that this would be just "another reality TV show".

We decided that past talent programs like "Star Search" left too much power in the hands of judges. American Idol would break out from the reality TV pack by offering the viewing public a first: the chance for America to "elect" the next big pop music star through telephone and online voting. Because the true "stars" of the talent program would not emerge until Week 5, we decided to start the season off by making celebrities out of the judges: Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and especially the acerbic Brit Simon Cowell.

To create a groundswell of word of mouth for the premiere, we began by promoting the nation-wide open auditions on the local level. We posted fliers in karaoke bars in every city in which auditions were held, and contacted high schools, colleges, acting and theatre programs, and comedy clubs to encourage aspiring performers to try out for the "cattle-call". Contests with local Fox affiliates spread the word and drew crowds. We contacted local news media to cover the try-outs; nationally, we secured a TV Guide reporter to write an insider's perspective on what it's like to audition for Paula, Randy and Simon.

Leading up to and following the premiere, we promoted American Idol to national media (e.g. USA Today, Newsweek) as a genuine litmus of pop culture. Later in the season, we secured opportunities to associate American Idol with American culture — including getting all ten finalists invited to sing the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium in a tie-in with Major League Baseball. As the show gained in popularity, we limited access to the top ten contestants in order to create a media frenzy for any little tidbit of information about the outcome.

Our slow-but-steady build-up paid off for our client. After premiering modestly in June 2002 with 10 million viewers, American Idol consistently won its time period until the two-hour finale, when Kelly Clarkson was crowned the winner. Media hits escalated throughout the series, garnering front page coverage in hundreds of national and major market papers, including USA Today and the covers of US Weekly (three times), People (twice), Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, TV Guide and Seventeen. American Idol became the #1 new summer series on television and the topic of "water-cooler" conversations in every office and dorm room. Its reach spilled over into unexpected media, as well: political shows like The O'Reilly Factor, ESPN, business magazines, and even Saturday Night Live spoofs. What could have wound up another quickly forgotten summer series instead became a triumphant home run, gaining media recognition as a bona fide cultural phenomenon.