CBS Launches TV DVD Marketing Website

1 Sep, 2010 By: Chris Tribbey

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Promoting individual TV DVD releases can be a ton of work. CBS Home Entertainment has found a way to show off every release on its plate through October, in one slick package.

Dubbed “The Art of TV on DVD,” CBS has launched a website (CBSTVonDVD.com) that spotlights nearly 20 TV DVD titles, offering not only typical sellsheet material (show synopses, street dates, disc specs) but also exclusive previews of bonus features included with the sets.

“In addition to the individual campaigns, we brought everything together for one larger campaign,” said Ken Ross, EVP of CBS Home Entertainment. Promoting every upcoming TV DVD title started as a print campaign, but CBS executives quickly realized that they could do more online, he said. “The notion was why not do a multi-media, cross-platform campaign, that drives consumers to the Internet?”

By clicking on the DVD cover of CBS/Paramount Home Entertainment-distributed titles, visitors to the site can find out everything they need to know about the series, and view up to four videos straight from the bonus features. For Dexter: Season Four there are interviews with show stars Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter. For the first season of “The Good Wife” there are four snippets from the five-part documentary included in the set. For NCIS: Season Seven there’s a cast roundtable.

“One of the sexiest things we have on DVDs is the special features, and before this, you couldn’t get them anywhere else,” Ross said. “Here we can offer exposure to new titles, and whet the appetite for the bonuses.”

In addition to direct links to Amazon.com to buy or preorder a title, CBS went further, giving consumers links to Twitter, Facebook, and dozens of other online networking sites.

“There’s a lot of tender-loving care that goes into TV on DVD, and here we show the work that goes into it in a way that’s easy to use and drives traffic,” Ross said.

“It’s hard to make something easy.”

The site covers TV DVD releases of “NCIS,” “NCIS LA,” “CSI,” “CSI Miami,” “CSI New York,” ‘Ghost Whisperer,” “Numbers,” “The Tudors,” “Flashpoint,” “Medium,” “The Good Wife,” “Criminal Minds,” “Accidentally on Purpose,” “90210,” “United States of Tara,” “Californication” and “Dexter.”

Ross said CBS might stick with the campaign long-term, depending on consumers’ response and feedback.
 

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