€˜Impractical Jokers’ Brings Brand Partnership to SDCC Block Party
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‘Impractical Jokers’ Brings Brand Partnership to SDCC Block Party 07.24.2017 For Brian "Q" Quinn, Sal Vulcano and James "Murr" Murray, when it comes to challenges on Impractical Jokers, their limit is, well, death. "That's why I'm afraid of the series finale," Murr quipped. But six seasons in, and with Turner's truTV having ordered a seventh, it doesn't seem like he has to worry anytime soon. In fact, the trio (Joe Gatto was attending the birth of his baby girl) talked about plans for a movie and revealed an upcoming nine-episode-long punishment during the Impractical Jokers Block Party at San Diego Comic Con 2017. "It's a punishment that for the first time in Jokers, it affects the rest of the season," Murr said. Photo Credit: Kristin Craik The party at Petco Park offered experiential activations where guests got a taste for some of the pranks featured on the show. Activities included riding a mechanical bull to see if they could outlast Murr in season three, stepping into the ring for pseudo sumo wrestling (without having to wear a diaper as Joe did in season four), and getting first-hand vertigo with a VR experience of walking the same high-rise tightrope the Jokers crossed during their 100th Episode Live Spectacular. "It's truly amazing how these four guys from Staten Island have built this following," said Serge Masyra, senior VP of emerging consumers content partnerships, Turner Ignite. The one-day event drew more than 16,500 people, dwarfing last year's 12,000, and was moved to Petco Park to accommodate the growing attendance. "It seems like every year, it just gets bigger and bigger and we outgrow our space," Masyra said. The block party is driven by a demand from audiences craving a fan experience, reminiscent of the hype surrounding a music festival. "This could be an idea to bring them outside of Comic-Con, to have their own festival," he speculated. Fan experiences at major gatherings like SDCC also present an opportunity for brand partnerships that move away from the "brought to you by" strategy, and instead focus on creating engaging custom content and experiences. For instance, after converting to a limited commercial interruption (LCI) model, Mountain Dew is one of just three advertisers engaged in a year-long, fan-engaged partnership with Impractical Jokers, and the company sponsored the virtual-reality high-wire activation. Fans donned a VR headset, stepped into an elevator that rose 30 stories, and attempted to walk across a tightrope strung between the tops of two buildings. Mountain Dew integrated its branding into the cityscape billboards as viewers put one foot in front of the other and tried not to look down. It's a good example of a partnership that hits all the marks when it comes to the advertisers, the network and the fans-who were out in full force at the block party, Masyra said. Photo Credit: Turner The event also included autograph signings with the Jokers, a live presentation of Impractically Speaking: The Impractical Jokers Live Web Show hosted by Casey Jost, and an exclusive episode viewing. And let's not forget about the new line of Impractical Jokers action figures that were handed out at the party. Quinn recalled the moment his friend and director Kevin Smith got an action figure. "Now the day has come when I have my own," he said. "And Kevin has like … 15.".