ABC Television – "Ugly Betty"

ABC Television retained Formula LA’s entertainment division for a street team initiative aimed at generating exposure for its new fall series, “Ugly Betty,” which chronicles the adventures of a less-than-beautiful woman working for a fashion magazine. The mission: Employ “Ugly Betty” look-alikes to distribute branded marketing materials in high traffic areas of New York City to generate consumer awareness and media exposure.

Challenges:

• Only had three weeks to hire, train, outfit and schedule appearances for 100 “Betties” in 10 far-reaching locations throughout Manhattan
• Create a buzz for the show on the street that reaches beyond traditional ad spots
• Acquire attention for the “Betties” by integrating them into New York Fashion Week
• Utilize celebrities present for Fashion Week to garner coverage on our “Betties” from Hollywood-driven media outlets
• Connect with appropriate target audiences in key areas throughout the city on the day of the show’s premiere

Strategy:

• To minimize learning curve and decrease training time, hire street teamers from a pool of trusted women that have successfully executed previous promotions
• Dress “Betties” in wigs, glasses and ponchos to resemble the show’s star and disperse them in groups of 10 to capture the attention of consumers and media
• Generate interest in the “Ugly Betty” premiere by distributing mirrored compacts touting the show’s tagline – “Ugly is the new beautiful” – to NYC pedestrians
• Work in unison with Formula’s New York office, and leverage their existing media relationships to secure substantial, continuous press coverage
• Approach celebrities at Fashion Week venue for photo opportunities

Results:

• Our 100 “Betties” were extremely professional, always remaining “in character” while in the public and frequently serving as “spokespersons” for the press
• “Betties” were photographed outside the Fashion Week tents with noted celebrities including Hillary Duff, Usher, Gina Gershon, Erika Christensen, renowned designer Patricia Fields, Vogue editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley, and contestants from the hit Bravo series, “Project Runway”
• We secured media coverage on “Access Hollywood,” “Entertainment Tonight,” EntertainmentWeekly.com, WABC-TV, Associated Press, Brandweek, and nearly 50 other placements in newspapers, TV news and online outlets nationwide
• All 10,000 compacts supplied by ABC were distributed by the street teams, generating mass interest in watching the show. More than 16 million Americans tuned in to the “Ugly Betty” premiere, making it the No. 1 new comedy for the fall season

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