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Have the 'Hawaii Five-0' Promos Turned Off Viewers Already?
by Allison Waldman, posted Sep 2nd 2010 10:05AM
Unless you've been living isolation without benefit of television service or any outside media, you're very much aware that the most anticipated new drama series on CBS this fall is 'Hawaii Five-0.' Or should I say the reboot, revamped new 2010 edition of the original Jack Lord police show that ran from 1968 to 1980.It's no surprise that CBS would be hyping the heck out of their new incarnation, but at some point the hype has gone overboard, if you'll pardon the pun. The rolling waves, the all-too-familiar music, the plethora of promotion has been incessant, prompting me to wonder if it's all become too much. Here's three reasons the CBS hype may have already turned off viewers ...
1. It's too much. You can't watch an hour of CBS television without the intrusion of a some kind of 'Hawaii Five-0' promotion. They've been pushing this more than any other new show, or so it seems. There are CGI waves splashing the 'Five-0' logo halfway up the screen while you're watching a program. Not just a slice at the bottom of the screen, which is annoying enough. No, this is a Hawaiian surf that spreads over the images of actors doing a scene of a show you're watching. That's just one kind of 'Hawaii Five-0' promo.
There's ads all over the web, too, and billboards. And commercials, commercials, commercials... Other shows are being hyped, too, but this feels over the top.
How prevalent is it? Well, in a New York Times article about the campaign, the reporter joking wrote: "And do not be surprised if during a coming National Football League game on CBS, an announcer describes a play on the 'five-0' yard line."
2. They're too cute. The idea of any promotion, naturally, is to make potential viewers aware of the show and get them to tune in to watch the premiere and become regular viewers. So the commercials need to be enticing, informative and memorable. Sometimes being clever works well. Sometimes it's just too cute. That's the case with the 'Hawaii Five-0' music commercials. There's one with marching bands, kazoo players, people humming on the street, etc. But it doesn't have a topper. Something funny at the end would have made the ad special!
Here's another music spot that's a little funnier, but I'm not sure if it's selling the news show or the old song?
3. They're too retro. Everything about the promotion is pushing reminders of the past, with not enough anticipation of Alex O'Loughlin and Scott Caan as the new McGarrett and Danno. If CBS is selling the future, why all the references to the past? We've had the music drilled into our heads, the waves just like the original, and in a mostly action-filled ad, it all builds to "Book 'em, Danno," the most famous line from the Jack Lord series.
All the reminders are great for those who are 45 years old or older, but if CBS wants the 18-49 demo, shouldn't they be selling more of the new 'Hawaii Five-0'? That would make sense, wouldn't it?
So, what do you think? Have the ads and promos been a plus or a minus? Take our poll and feel free to expound in the comments.
| Yes, I'm not going to watch the premiere. | |
|---|---|
| Yes, but I'm still going to give the show a chance. | |
| No, it's what I expect from TV. I'll still watch the first episode. | |
| No, it's been a great campaign and I can't wait to watch 'Hawaii Five-0.' |
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