The CW to hit the mall in major promo effort
Getting the word out for its debut this fall, The CW will launch a national "Mall Domination" tour, a large promotional initiative featuring the interactive CW Lounge, appearances by CW stars and a major campaign blanketing numerous malls in major markets around the country.
Each week beginning 8/12, The CW Lounge, a multimedia interactive experience, will travel to 11 Westfield Malls around the county, as well as the Grove in LA, introducing consumers to The CW shows and brand identity. Stars from The CW's series will visit each location, meeting their fans in The CW Lounge and signing autographs.
Inside the Lounge, consumers can create their own customized t-shirts with the new slogan "Free to Be," filling in the blank to express exactly what they're "Free to Be." Photographers will be on hand at each CW Lounge location to take pictures of consumers and their friends, which could also appear in CW promo spots.
Each CW Lounge will be outfitted with laptops, where consumers can log on to www.cwtv.com and join the CW Lab Online Community, as well as plasma screen TVs, which will air footage from upcoming series. Additionally, CW will have a massive ad presence in 35 Westfield Malls, including the 12 featuring the CW Lounge - beginning in August and running through the 9/20 launch.
Breaking the effort down, CW spokesperson Paul Hewitt says in each of the 12 malls with the CW Lounge and star presence, local CW affiliates will be finding local radio station partners. Affiliates will also be running on-air spots and discussing this on their local news programs (where present). It will be promoted online via websites and email blasts. The malls will be promoting the events in and outside the malls will all available signage. In malls without the lounge and star presence, major signage will be used to hype the programming only.
Dates, locations and stars:
New York: Westfield Sunrise/ Massapequa, NY (August 12-13): James Lafferty ("One Tree Hill") and Bethany Joy Galeotti ("One Tree Hill") to appear on August 13.
San Diego: Westfield UTC: (August 12-13): Jason Dohring ("Veronica Mars"), Percy Daggs III ("Veronica Mars") and Tia Mowry ("The Game") to appear on August 13.
New Jersey: Westfield Garden State Plaza/ Paramus, NJ (August 18-19): Lee Norris ("One Tree Hill") and Danneel Harris ("One Tree Hill") to appear on August 19.
Los Angeles: Westfield Century City/ Los Angeles, CA (August 19-20): Hilarie Burton ("One Tree Hill"), Jason Dohring ("Veronica Mars") and Matt Czuchry ("Gilmore Girls") scheduled to appear on August 19.
Washington DC: Westfield Wheaton/ Wheaton, MD (August 26-27)*
Santa Ana, CA: Westfield Main Place, Santa Ana, CA (August 26-27)*
Los Angeles: The Grove (August 30)* - in conjunction with "The CW Presents: Summer at the Grove," the five-week concert series, which concludes on this night with a free performance by multi-platinum recording artist Jewel.
St. Louis: Westfield Chesterfield, Chesterfield, MO (September 2-3)*
San Jose: Westfield Valley Fair (September 2-3)*
Chicago: Westfield Old Orchard/ Skokie, IL (September 9-10)*
Seattle: Westfield South Center (September 9-10)*
*Talent t/b/a.
