truTV Follows Rebrand with Sponsor Integrations, March Madness Campaign

03.19.2015

Since Turner's truTV rebranded to become "Way More Fun" last October, the network has been reaching out to fans and advertisers in a big way.

Lately, that has manifested in several on-air sponsorship integrations, including branded hacks on Hack My Life, clever travel tips on Impractical Jokers and a Twitter campaign for the NCAA tournament with help from the Jokers and The Lucas Brothers.

According to Puja Vohra, SVP of marketing and digital at truTV, a large reason for the network's rebrand was for those potential partners.

"Our rebrand was really a response to what the marketplace had been telling us for years - we needed to change," she said. "We went after more sponsorships after the rebrand and that community responded really well."

Vohra, adding that she thinks truTV's bright new look appeals more to the advertising community, said that one of the network's goals at the new year was to solidify natural partnerships with its brands.

One thing truTV offered sponsors and partners was a collaboration with its on-air talent. Much of truTV's lineup consists of comedians and writers who let their personalities play out on air, so it made sense to the network to bring in its existing talent base for sponsor integrations.

"We let our advertisers have access to our talent but in a way that makes sense to them," said Vohra.

For example, Hack My Life hosts Kevin Pereira and Brooke Van Poppelen present a "never-ending supply of everyday life hacks," from how to open a wine bottle with your shoe to using dental floss to cut cheese.

The show teamed up with Reese's for March Madness-themed hacks ("March Madness and parties are the perfect combination - like chocolate and peanut butter").

Because Hack My Life features new life hacks each episode, the show is a natural place for partnerships. It featured a Pringles hack this February using both the chips and the can for various solutions around the house.

Impractical Jokers, four comedians and friends who play pranks on one another in the name of funny TV, is the show leading the charge in truTV's latest March Madness promotion.

Butts. Heh heh. RT @truTV: @ButtsRobert Give this man a prize. #HaveUFoundtruTV pic.twitter.com/qx7okaQnq7

- Impractical Jokers (@truTVjokers) March 17, 2015

The campaign, using hashtag #HaveUFoundtruTV, is engaging Twitter users trying to find upcoming NCAA tournament games on the channel, which has aired games since 2011 as part of Turner's basketball deal.

TruTV has enlisted its marketing team as well as its talent for the campaign that is meant to educate basketball fans how to find the channel while also poking fun at itself.

We loved @billyeichner's tweet so much, we're putting it on a throw pillow: #HaveUFoundtruTV http://t.co/6vQ8BIjdfB pic.twitter.com/EYos0RCoBa

- truTV (@truTV) March 17, 2015

The Lucas Brothers are also in the action, with their piece Scrabblin and Quarrelin, pushing the site truTVishere.com while also, well, scrabbling and quarreling. Impractical Jokers was another strong group of talent for advertisers, according to Vohra, with the show also featuring an integration with Travelocity and its mascot the Roaming Gnome.

In the show, the four friends dared one another to do weird and wacky things while in South Beach, Florida. The idea was to pose as four travelers without the help of Travelocity, asking people for directions to local landmarks that don't actually exist.

The partnership included a microsite at trutv.com/Travelocity with a custom dare only available online, and a Twitter component where the Roaming Gnome interacted with the Jokers as well.

Great. We got trolled by a gnome. RT @RoamingGnome: Nice banner, Sal. Perhaps you should try passing out free margaritas. #JokersInMiami

- Impractical Jokers (@truTVjokers) January 30, 2015

TruTV's integrations have "been really positive," said Vohra, "because we gave advertisers access to talent and had them work together, so everyone wins."