TORONTO – It’s a marketing plan sure to make a splash – and raise both awareness and subscription levels of digital television in Canada.
HBO Canada began to greet Canadians from coast-to-coast on Monday via an extensive national campaign from Astral Media’s The Movie Network (Eastern Canada) and Corus Entertainment’s Movie Central (Western Canada). Set to launch next Thursday, October 30, HBO Canada is a new multiplex channel of The Movie Network and Movie Central that will offer subscribers a full slate of HBO’s renowned programming, as first reported by Cartt.ca last month, and further profiled here.
The launch campaign will run across the country in major cities – including Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg – with targeted print, radio, television, online and out-of-home advertising as well as radio promotions. In addition to The Movie Network and Movie Central’s initiatives, the campaign will be augmented by complementary campaigns by cable and satellite providers, many of whom will use the same launch creative with customized sell messages.
“Leveraging HBO’s renowned reputation as one of the best known entertainment brands in the world with the most sought-after programming, the campaign’s key objective is to build awareness and excitement of this new HBO-branded destination in Canada,” said Domenic Vivolo, senior vice president, marketing and sales, Astral Television Networks.
“The campaign uses simple and direct messaging such as ‘Hello’, ‘It’s Here’ and ‘Get It’ to create awareness and induce trial of the service among non-subscribers. It also informs current Movie Network subscribers that HBO Canada is included with their subscription. We are confident that this launch campaign – which is one of The Movie Network’s largest marketing initiatives to date – will deliver on all of its objectives and establish the service as one of the premium brands in Canada,” added Vivolo, in the press release.
“Our market research reinforced what we have long believed about the strength of the HBO brand in Canada – our audiences appreciate the quality of HBO programming and they want more,” said Jim Johnson, vice-president, marketing, premium TV, Corus Entertainment. “The HBO Canada launch is one of the most comprehensive campaigns in Movie Central history, utilizing mass media along with all of our Corus Entertainment assets, and also leveraging the strength of our relationships with our broadcast distribution partners. This is a great offering for viewers and we want everybody to know about it.”
The creative concept was developed by The Movie Network’s in-house strategic design department in consultation with The Movie Network and Movie Central’s marketing teams.
The print creative features a series of four executions highlighting key programs that will be available on HBO Canada. Each execution features an image of either Bill Maher from Real Time with Bill Maher, Chris Rock from the comedy special Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger, Larry David of Curb Your Enthusiasm or the cast of the hit series Entourage stamped with the tagline “Hello” and the message “Get It. It’s Here.”
Similarly, the on-air campaign features a catchy “Hello”-themed original song that accompanies the radio and television spots and directs listeners to “get ready” and “say hello” to HBO Canada. The 30-second television spot is a montage of various HBO programming clips, characters and personalities excitedly reacting to the launch of HBO Canada.
All elements direct consumers to www.hbocanada.com.
CAMPAIGN ELEMENTS
The Movie Network
Media Experts is The Movie Network’s media buying agency for this campaign. The Movie Network will roll out the following promotional elements in the eastern and national market in Canada:
Print Advertising
Full-page and half-page ads and various size banners will appear in major dailies and urban weeklies – including the Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, Metro News, 24 Hours, Eye Weekly and NOW Magazine – as of Tuesday, October 28.
Out-of-Home Advertising
The creative will be featured on ‘zontals and transit shelter billboards throughout the GTA, and will also appear on GO Train, TTC Interior cards and subway posters in Toronto beginning Monday, October 27. A fleet of 12 HBO Canada-branded Mini Cooper cars will travel through the streets of Toronto for five weeks as part of a mobile advertising campaign.
Television Advertising
A 30-second HBO Canada television spot will begin running for six weeks on Monday, October 20, on CTV, Global, City-TV, A-Channel and E! and their various affiliate stations in Ontario and Atlantic Canada.
Radio Advertising & Promotions
A 30-second radio spot will air in Ontario and Atlantic Canada on all major radio stations beginning Monday, October 20, for six weeks. Also, a national promotion on Astral Media Radio stations will begin Monday, October 27, offering listeners a chance to win one of three HBO programming-themed trips to the U.K., Los Angeles or Las Vegas.
In-Theatre Advertising
A 30-second HBO Canada spots will begin airing in select theatres in Ontario and Atlantic Canada beginning Friday, October 24, for four weeks.
Online Advertising
Various sized banner ads – including big box, leaderboard, skyscraper and expandable leaderboards – are planned for websites such as Sympatico MSN, Yahoo.ca, Facebook.com, as well as on ad networks such as advertising.com, Casale Media, Value Click, Google, Gorilla Nation and Drive PM.
Movie Central
M2 Universal is Movie Central’s media buying agency for this campaign. Movie Central will roll out the following promotional elements in the western and national market in Canada:
Print Advertising
Full-page and half-page ads and various size banners will appear in major dailies, including the Globe and Mail, National Post, Metro News, Vancouver Sun, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Winnipeg Free Press, Regina Leader Post, Victoria Times-Colonist and Sasktoon Star Phoenix – as of Tuesday, October 28.
Out-of-Home Advertising
In Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, creative will be featured on ‘zontals, bus kings, wild-postings, transit shelters and Ultra Tails (bus back wrap). Street teams in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver will be handing out HBO Canada materials from October 30-October 31.
Television Advertising
A 30-second HBO Canada television spot will run across Corus’ specialty networks: W Network, CosmoTV, VIVA, CMT, SCREAM and YTV.
Radio Advertising & Promotions
A 30-second radio spot has been running in the Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg markets on all major radio stations since Monday, October 13. Additional Corus national radio promotions on Corus radio stations include a chance to win a Sharp AQUOS 46” 1080P LCD television and weekly giveaways of HBO DVD box sets.
Online Advertising
Various sized banner ads – including big box, leaderboard, skyscraper and expandable leaderboards – are planned for web sites such as Sympatico MSN, Yahoo.ca, Canada.com, MyTelus, YouTube, IMDB, Flixter, Rotten Tomatoes, TV.com and across Corus’ specialty networks, W Network, CMT, SCREAM and CosmoTV, as well as on ad networks such as advertising.com, Casale Media, Value Click, Google, Gorilla Nation and Drive PM.
