TV Guide Goes Overboard at Comic-Con, Plus More from San Diego - Ed Martin

TV Guide Magazine for the two last years at the San Diego ComicCon commandeered a modest yacht in the city harbor and created a floating refuge where busy television stars who were racing from panels to autograph signings to press rooms promoting their new and returning series could relax unwind grab some food and drink and play video games Of course it was also a prime location for TV Guide staffers to conduct exclusive interviews and take special photos away from the overall chaos of the Con The yacht proved so popular that TVGM took over a much larger vessel this year that was almost twice as big as the previous boat That was a good thing as the larger space was crowded with celebrities every time I stopped by and none of them seemed to be in any hurry to leave TVGM39s primary promotional partner on the yacht was Nintendo which set up an arcade of games in the main cabin just a few feet away from a wellstocked bar at which Guinness premiered a new beer Red Harvest Among the other onboard sponsors were Wet 39n Wild Cosmetics Ciao Bella Gelato Tim Horton39s Coffee and Diageo SpiritsOnce again Warner Bros maximized the potential promotional power of Con attendees themselves providing every one of them with one of a dozen different oversized bags that could be carried or worn as backpacks and turning them all into walking billboards for those 12 franchises Several years ago as first reported in Myers Reports a small group of Congoers gathered up Warner Bros bags cut them into pieces and fashioned clothing from them taking citizen marketing to a new level Warner Bros now sends Con bags to those same few folks referred to by Warner Bros as their quotsuper fansquot in advance of every Con allowing them to create exclusive Con fashions before the event begins and to plan their wardrobes accordingly This year39s eyecatcher was a purse one woman created from pieces of a quotBig Bang Theoryquot bag that could probably be sold in storesShowtime for the last seven years has enjoyed the most visible promotional platform of the entire Con The network39s logo and the title treatment for its longrunning hit quotDexterquot have been featured on the lanyards worn by every Con attendee With quotDexterquot about to end its run Congoers were wondering what they might see on next year39s lanyards While Showtime likely won39t give up that prime space it39s hard to imagine genre fans responding with quotDexterquotlike passion to either of the network39s new adult dramas quotRay Donovanquot and quotMasters of SexquotSide displays on trucks and busses usually make a huge impact as they drive around the Gaslamp District throughout the Con but this year the excitement on the street was all about the pedicabs Dozens of them were made to look like the iron throne from HBO39s quotGame of Thronesquot Others featured the green man from memorable episodes of FX39s quotIt39s Always Sunny in Philadelphiaquot hanging on the back of their seats Speaking of FX its annual Con party cosponsored by Maxim remained one of the hottest tickets of the weekend and was once again the party that young actors and actresses seemed to enjoy more than any otherFinally proving that there isn39t a square foot of space at the Con that isn39t marked by an advertisement or promotional image for a movie or television property restroom signs throughout the massive San Diego Convention Center were altered to read quotNormasquot and quotNormansquot These were references to the disturbed mother and son who are the main characters in the new AampampE series quotBates MotelquotNext week Ed Martin live from the Television Critics Association meetingsIf you are receiving this report you are a registered member to Jack Myers Media Business Network or are receiving it as part of a registered corporate membership As a member Jack responds personally to your emails requests and comments He is available to speak at your company events In addition to Jack Myers Media Business Reports your membership underwrites MediaBizBloggerscom Women in Media Mentoring Initiative Jack Myers Wall St Report Jack Myers Video Media Report plus our exclusive industry economic forecasts trend forecasts and corporate performance research Redistribution in any form except among approved individuals within your company is prohibited As a member you have full access to all archives and reports at wwwjackmyerscom If you require your ID and password contact maryannjackmyerscom

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TV Guide Goes Overboard at Comic-Con, Plus More from San Diego - Ed Martin

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