May 1, 2004 12:00 PM, Tim Parry

As far as anyone knows, it may have started with a voice-mail that went something like this:

“Good morning. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to generate awareness and buzz for MI-5, A&E's dramatic new series set in the high-stakes world of the British intelligence agency, particularly among a younger audience of 25-54. While doing so, you are to leverage cable affiliates for cross-channel and online exposure, bring a younger average audience to the cable network and reinforce the value of A&E to its affiliates and customers.”

The message may not have self-destructed in five seconds, but A&E saw a ratings explosion. Thanks to the resulting “Spies & Lies” sweepstakes, MI-5 saw a 29% increase among adult viewers 25-54, and had an audience age nearly 15 years younger than the A&E average.

And the mission was accomplished because the promotion was kept simple. There was no needto re-invent the wheel, said Stuart Ruderfer, CEO of Civic Entertainment Group, the New York City agency that handled the promotion.

“This was a classic example of a perfect promotion,” Ruderfer says. “We found the best and most on-brand partners and leveraged them for the best access to the target audience.”

A five-point strategy was used to meet the objective. It leveraged general interest in undercover and international intelligence and emphasized the contemporary image of London to draw an intelligent younger audience.

Also, it developed a series of on-brand marketing partnerships to generate off-network exposure, created a sweepstakes that appealed to a younger yet upscale audience, and offered cable affiliates valuable and flexible prizes and content in exchange for heavy cross-channel and online promotion.

“We had the perfect grand prize for the promotion — a spy cruise to London,” Ruderfer says. “It fit the theme of the series and the theme of what is cool and hip about London.”

Relationships were struck with Virgin Atlantic Airways, Toshiba, Comp-USA, the International Spy Museum and the Center for Counterintelligence and Security Studies. These partners provided exposure on their Web sites, as well as original prizes relevant to the theme of the show; they also distributed tune-in cards on-site and at live events, and partnered in e-mail blasts.

The campaign also included listener call-in contests centered around spy-themed trivia in 10 top radio markets, with all on-air mentions delivering tune-in information. Daily winners received Toshiba Pocket PCs, and a weekly winner received a trip to London.

In exchange for 250 tune-in spots per market, A&E offered 55 affiliates a trip for two to London, including airfare from Virgin Atlantic, a hotel and a spy-themed itinerary. Because of the flexible nature of the prize, affiliates were able to use the offering to drive their local business as well. And in those 55 markets, ratings increased by 31% over the national average.

“You don't need a dog-and-pony show for a promotion to be effective, you just need to have the right people in the right places,” says A&E spokesperson Stacy Krusch. “We're not really surprised at how well it went. It was a good, effective program and it did what it set out to do.”

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