CONGRATULATIONS to Generate Client BLAKE CALHOUN for his win this weekend at the STREAMY AWARDS for Best Directing in a Dramatic Web Series. Visit Pink The Series at www.pinktheseries.com
A couple photos below of the Pink crew and Blake on stage!
Topic: Twouble with Twitter Video
We all are aware that Twitter has blown up recently – 33% member increase in the month of March alone, Year over year growth of 965% (currently there are over 10 million global users). Some say they are slowly but surely taking the social networking crown away from Facebook. Not that it has as many users – but the buzz is sure bigger – and people are flocking over to see what all the tweetin’ hype is about. Facebook just two weeks ago interestingly changed the look and feel of the homepage to model Twitter’s. Which Millennials find to be completely lame of Facebook to follow, instead of lead. But let’s get back to Twitter shall we!
Twitter is a place where people post their current status (or ‘tweet’ in twitters terms). Instead of friending people, you ‘follow’ them. You can do word searches for people, places or things you’re most interested in, and Twitter will list all those other people who have like interests. Then it’s up to you if you want to ‘follow’ or not. Celebrities have their own pages – and the most followed on Twitter are Brittany Spears, Barack Obama and Ashton Kutcher. So everyone and their uncle is ‘tweeting’ these days, which leads me to today’s ‘Daily Buzz’.
I was alerted today of a video with incredible buzz from some of our Insighters. This video was posted on the forum 14 times and then when I logged on to my facebook, 27 friends (all in the Millennial demo) proceeded to post it as well. There were two drivers that make this video so desirable – 1) SuperNews – a popular, animated sketch comedy series from the people at Current TV and 2) it pokes fun at people’s reliance on sites like Twitter.
This video is hilarious in so many ways. Let’s set it up for you: it takes place in an office setting, where one co-worker is trying to influence the other co-worker to join Twitter. Once the co-worker admits to not knowing what Twitter is, the Twitter-obsessed worker takes him in to the ‘Twitter-sphere’ (a space-like universe where the ‘Twitter’ bird comes to life). From there the sketch makes fun at people’s lack of reality when it comes to their online ‘friends’, as well as the self-absorption in tweeting about their every move, and thinking people actually care. The end result is quite funny – and realistic to how society now chooses to communicate with their ‘so-called friends’.
Interestingly enough, only 11% of our community of Millennials use Twitter. But this video made an impact on them – as it allowed them see the ‘perception vs. reality’ when it comes to social networking
Topic: House of Night Series by P.C. & Kristen Cast
On Saturday, I made my way to Border’s book store in West Hollywood. I made a pit stop at the young adult section, and found myself among 6 girls (all strangers) looking for their next read. There was a commonality amongst these girls, and that was they were all huddled around a specific section. That section catered to all things ‘Goth’ & ‘Vampire’. This made me think back to the time when Harry Potter was the read of choice – and how the ‘sci-fi’, ‘wizardry’ section expanded in size. Well that section of books have now given way to all things ‘gothic’ and ‘vampire’ specific.
As I watched the girls pull different books out , I noticed them fighting for space in this one row, so I peered over their heads, interested to see the book that had them ready for a throw-down. What I saw wasn’t a book, but more a series. A series called ‘House of Night’ by P.C. & Kristen Cast. Some say the series is like a ‘Twilight’ knock-off because it’s based on vampires – but when I asked the girls at the bookstore this question, they gasped. One girl blurted out “Not even close – the House of Night series is so much more in depth and interesting.” I was happy I got the girls attention because I wanted to know more. I wanted to know what makes the ‘House of Night’ series better and different than Twilight. Here’s the lite-version of what resulted in a 45 minute discussion.
HON (House of Night – but they call it HON) as a series, seems so much more interesting to these girls and written in such a mature manner – that made it more appealing (than that of Twilight). The reason is all in the characters (Zoey, Neferet, Stevie and Stark to name a few – and another is where the story takes place for the most part – in the HON school for vampires).
Zoey is your typical angst-ridden teens with a twist…she’s a vampire. A vampire with very different gifts which make her different from the others – she is the first vampire fledgling to ever have an affinity for all five elements (air, fire, water, earth and spirit). Her gifts allow her to fit in socially with humans. There is also a love triangle in the series – which really appeals to the girls. The drama surrounding her love for Erik (her ex whom she cheated on) and her lust for Stark (confident bad-boy). Her best-friendship with Stevie is also something the girls find endearing. They all really related to the strength and deep bond between characters Zoey and Stevie. School, relationship drama, frenemies and best friendships are the elements that make this series both relatable and intriguing – even if it is all based around a culture of vampires.
Out of all the books in the series – this is how they girls (and our Insighters) ranked them in order of appeal:
‘Hunted’ – the 5th book and most recently launched book in the series.
“I love the HON series…and while Hunted was super exciting, it wasn’t really the best in the series. I felt it was somewhat repetitive of the others. Zoey rocks though…her and her men and fabulous friends. I want to be Stevie!” – Maryanne, 15
‘Marked’ – the 1st book in the series, introducing the story of Zoey and the House of Night to the masses
“Marked is in my top three favorite books of all time. I read it in a day – because I could not put it down. It kicked the Twilight series ass in my opinion. It was so interesting and well written – and the characters are very complex – which I love. This book got me back to imagining and writing creatively.” – Kris, 17
‘Betrayed’ – the 2nd book in the series where Zoey struggles between the world as a vampire and the world of a angst-ridden teen
“This is the book where Zoey takes over leadership of the Dark Daughters and Sons…let havoc be reeked. I could not put this book down. It got so bad that during this book, I would fall asleep in first period bc I was up the night before so late reading this.” – Bethany, 16
‘Chosen’ – the 3rd book in the series which has Zoey pulled between protecting her best friend Stevie and juggling her three boyfriends.
“I felt like I needed parental permission to read Chosen. It was very sexy and adult-like. I mean I still read it and liked it – but there were parts I was blushing at. I didn’t like Zoey calling herself a ‘ho’ though. She called herself this often – and don’t think it was called for. She can’t help it if 3 boys like her.” – Jill, 14
‘Untamed’ – the 4th book in the series where Zoey loses all her boyfriends when she gets caught cheating on one and has a falling out with her friends.
“I have never been disappoint with the HON series but Untamed has got to be my favorite. It was action-packed and so well written. Zoey grows up in this one and finally uses the gifts that she has fought so hard against since knowing of her vampire-ness. Awesome book.” – Mark, 15
‘Tempted’ – released Oct 2009
After walking away from my Border’s focus group of six, I felt that this series has a whole other cult-like following, similar to Twilight. HON may not have gotten the praise and recognition being in the shadow of Twilight – but it definitely has a strong, passionate and loyal fanbase!
Dare to enter the House of Night: WWW.HOUSEOFNIGHTSERIES.COM <http://WWW.HOUSEOFNIGHTSERIES.COM>
Topic: Natural Pepsi
As mentioned back in January, society is returning to a back-to-basics approach. Scaling back on purchases, spending more time with family/friends, and focusing on the ‘realness’ of the people, places and things in their lives. We are now seeing marketers jumping on this societal trend by launching campaigns and products that speak to ‘real’, ‘authentic’ and ‘pure’ experiences. We have seen Dentyne launch a new campaign called ‘Making Face Time’, Coke’s ‘Open Happiness’ and now Pepsi launches a product that embraces the trend – “Pepsi Natural”.
Other then the natural ingredients, the soda is housed in a glass bottle – as opposed to the plastic bottles the regular version is sold in (which is cool and environmentally-safe, but the convenience and breakability may pose a problem with portability).
The ingredients on the ‘natural version include: sparkling water, sugar (as opposed to high-fructose corn syrup) and kola nut extract . Compared to the normal Pepsi, you’ll find a different sweetener, a different type of fizzy water, an additional color source, different acids, and the addition of the kola nut extract. But the real question is, how does it taste?
We had a handful of community members who are both fans of Pepsi and have tried the new ‘Pepsi Natural’. The response was extremely positive. Here are the differences:
- ‘Natural’ didn’t have the acidic smell of regular Pepsi, in fact the insighters said it was odorless.
- ‘Natural’ was darker in color but lighter on taste, meaning that it was smoother and more mellow than the regular Pepsi.
- ‘Natural’ didn’t have an after-taste or the ‘gritty’, ‘sour’ mouth feel of the regular Pepsi.
Overall, Pepsi Natural scored well amongst their fans and our test-sample group of Insighters. Check it out on shelves now!
What our community members had to say about Pepsi Natural:
“I have done the Coke/Pepsi taste test several times – and every time I picked Pepsi. I know how it tastes and know that it tastes 10 times better than Coke. I was shopping with my mom the other day and saw the new ‘Pepsi Natural’. I made her buy it, even though it was a little more expensive. I sold her on the fact that it was made with spring water and natural sugar. When I got home, me and my bro poured out some Pepsi in a glass and some natural. We could definitely tell the difference. Who knew that Pepsi had a weird after taste and sandy feel after drinking. The Natural was like drinking water – it was so smooth. I am a HUGE fan now.” – Leanne, 16
“Pepsi Natural is very good. I love that it comes in a glass bottle – it’s recyclable and just looks classier. It tastes SO much better than regular Pepsi. It’s not as sweet and it’s a lot more mellow on the taste buds. It’s weird because when I drank the regular Pepsi again, it tasted sour to me.” – Chris, 20
“I am a Pepsi girl – always have been – but I wasn’t sold on the Pepsi Natural stuff. I mean, is it really natural? So I read the ingredients in the store – and wow, it is! I added it to the shopping list for my Dad to pick up. We as a family love it. My mom likes that it has no smell to it…Pepsi and other colas do smell funny…my brother likes how it comes in a glass bottle (which I didn’t like because I would drop it and break it– and that’s not good), and I just liked how smooth it was and didn’t leave my breathe smelling all gross 15 minutes after drinking it. My dad said he will definitely add it to the list each week. It’s nice to have natural things inside our bodies, that taste good too. Pepsi rules!” – Diana, 17
“So good, such a great package, a good name by a good brand – and finally it tasted the same as Pepsi but better – less intense!” – Mark, 19
Topic: Music – P.O.S.
What do you get when you combine punk-rock, indie and hip hop? You get one of the most unique, buzzed about artists today – P.O.S. (real name – Stefon Alexander) started off his career as a punk rock musician. He soon realized that much like punk rock, hip hop was a genre that celebrated an alternative freedom of expression.
P.O.S (which stands for a variety of things, including Product of Society, Piece of Sh*t, and Promise of Skill) is a self-taught bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, and drummer. He released his disc ‘Never Better’ in February, recently topping Billboard’s ‘Top Album HeatSeekers’ chart – and his first single called ‘Drumroll (We’re all thirsty’) got people talking. Our community is buzzing about P.O.S. because he brings a unique sound, comprised of several different, yet powerful genres of music (hip-hop, punk, indie and pop). He’s a rapper with range and they respect that!
Some of our Insighters made mention to the innovative approach he took with his CD insert, which includes limited edition artwork includes lyrics and transparent digi-pak that holds sixteen solid and six transparent inserts allowing the consumer to configure their own personalized cover art.
Check out P.O.S.’s video below or visit his myspace page for all the singles on ‘Never Better’:
Optimist Video: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=54172873
Myspace profile: www.myspace.com/pos <http://www.myspace.com/pos>
What the community is saying about P.O.S.:
“Seriously the best album of 09 has come from P.O.S. – it’s just incredible. Every single is tight and sounds very different from each other. ‘goodbye’ is my favorite single on the album. It gets me so pumped. If you buy one album this year – ‘Never Better’ is a solid choice!” – Derek, 17
“P.O.S. is one talented musician. Yes, he a rapper but with an edge. The man can play any instrument, lay down the tightest lyrics and put them to the most obscure beats. This is what talent looks and sounds like. ‘Drumroll’ just sent me through the roof…I was like ‘who is this man and where can I hear more’. Optimist is tight, as well as ‘Get smokes.” – Eric, 19
“I went to see POS when he played with Gym Class Heroes and from that moment, I knew we would hear great things from him. I just picked up ‘Never Better’. Definitely in my top 10 all time favorite albums. He’s got mad style both lyrically and outwardly. His lyrics have real meaning – ‘Graves’ gives me chills! The artwork on his album is a-mazing and it can all be personalized – which is cool. He’s so different in every way. “ – Veronica, 20
Topic: Top TV Shows among 18-35 year olds
Last week, in our staff meeting, Pete inquired about what are community members are saying their top TV shows are. I added the question on to one of the surveys we fielded last week, and here’s how the results flushed out:
Methodology:
The survey was taken by 500 Millennials ages 18-30 years old. 65% female/35% male. 69% of the participants are the true leaders amongst their peers.
The question was: What are your Top 3 TV Shows?
The Results:
18-24 year olds 25-30 year olds
#1 Lost #1 One Tree Hill
#2 House #2 House
#3 America’s Next Top Model #3 Law & Order
The Analysis:
18-24 years old
People who fall within’ the 18-24 age bracket have one foot in college, and the other in adult-hood. They are still living day for day, with the many drama-filled complexities that life throws their way. When it comes to their TV viewing, it’s no surprised that each show within their top 3, is injected with heightened emotion, melodramatic life-crisis’ and characters that are either relatable, inspirational or over-the-top outrageous.
Lost – a show that keeps this market guessing! The complexity of the characters past, present and future lives, as well as a moving ‘island’ – is what this generation tunes in for each week. Also the love triangle between Jack, Kate and Sawyer is a portion of the show the young female fans are drawn in by.
House – a cynical, majorly sarcastic Dr. who doesn’t play by the rules. This audience tunes in each week to see what comes out of the doc’s mouth and what kind of trouble he gets himself into – and out of.
America’s Next Top Model – Even though this is a reality show and not a ‘drama’ – it sure dishes out enough each week that keeps the ratings on the rise. A charismatic host, a attention-getting industry (modeling) and everyday women from all walks of life working towards their dream of becoming a super model.
“Lost is the best show on TV – ever. The show never gets boring bc of all the inner workings of the island. I love that Kate is now back on the island with Sawyer! Sigh.” – Tabitha, 18
“I love House because of ‘House’ the character. You never know what the heck is going to come out of his mouth. So I tune in to laugh or be in shock. Great, funny lines in the show also.” – Jeff, 20
“ANTM is just the best show. Tyra is such an inspiration to all real looking woman. I like how all girls – no matter how skinny, short, black or white – she believes in them.” – Gina, 21
25-30 years old
Again, drama rules – even among the older demos. From teen-based dramas like One Tree Hill to the longest-running crime drama on TV (Law and Order), the 20-somethings are looking for the same sort of complex, multi-faceted story-lines that appeal to their younger counterparts.
One Tree Hill is one of those sleeper-type shows… that has a cult-like following. The adult situations (pregnancy, abuse, family crisis) and mature script-writing has drawn in the older demo. Top that off with a great-looking cast – and you have yourself a hit.
House – see above
Law & Order – The brilliance behind Law & Order has to do with a few things. One, the fact that they added shows under the franchise (Law & Order – SVU, Criminal Intent, etc.) – which gives the viewer a choice and never allows them to get bored with the same format and subject matter. All the multi-faceted cases and the complex process of determining guilt or innocence – it really adds to the suspense and excitement people still have for the show.
“Even though I am 27, I live for OTH! The drama is very much like my life – even if the kids are like 5 years younger than me. I always download the music from the show as well.” – Marilyn, 27
“House is just brilliantly cast and written. I learn so much from the show. I love how House doesn’t take shit from no one.” – Kelly, 25
“Law & Order I have been watching for 9years now. It is THE best show on TV for sure. I like how they broke it out into SVU and Criminal Intent. The acting on the show is superb as well. Believe it or not, I wanted to get into law after watching this show. I still might.” – Tim, 28
Topic: Red Tights
Tights are a popular winter legwear accessory but typically fashionistas adorn safe colors like black, brown or gray. That is changing ever since bright, bold colors have been emerging (for both guys and girls). The buzz on red tights have surfaced ever since trendsetter Blair Waldorf on ‘Gossip Girl’ sported a pair in all her fashion fabulous-ness! Red tights were also featured on the fall runways – under shorts, skirts and dresses. The color red has many shades – but if you really want to embrace this trend, candy-apple is the hue of choice!
In fashion, when colors come in and out of vogue, it can sometimes be directly associated to the times in which we are living through – for example, black and gray were the colors most visible during ‘The Great Depression’. Well if ‘Red’ is the color of the moment – what does that say about our nation’s mindset. Red symbolizes passion, strength, energy, fire, love, excitement and speed. Descriptors that don’t necessarily reflect the attitudes of most people these days, but it can be seen as a manifestation of what’s to come.
Our fashion-forward girls in NYC, Chicago and LA all weighed in on the ‘red tight’ trend. They look at it as something vibrant, bold and positive. They feel that most of the winter people played it safe as the world came crumbling down around them. “I feel that ever since the economy hit an all time low, people are dressing like they are in mourning or something!”. These girls feel with colors coming back in vogue, it will elevate people’s moods and allow them to forge ahead to a brighter tomorrow.
Here’s what our fashionable community has to say about Red Tights:
“Red tights are SO hot right now especially in my school. They are being worn under jean shorts and vintage dresses. It’s really because of Katy Perry and Blair Waldorf…they wore them and now all the girls are crazy about them. It’s fun to color coming back. I feel so depressed sometimes here in the city – everyone in black and gray. It’s like, ‘lighten up people’…life is not all that bad.” – Jaynie, 16
“Oh yes, Red tights are big right now. I just got a pair in blood red and I am wearing them with this fun bell skirt I got at a thrift store. I look at them and smile. Red is fun!” – Denise, 18
“The emo-chicks have taken to the red and bright pink tights. That’s a bold statement to make. But color is good – as long as it’s worn appropriately.” – Kellie
“I have been wearing Red tights for a few months now. I retired my black tights. I grew tired of looking like everyone else. I am a passionate person with a fiery personality – so red suits me well.” – Morgan, 17
Topic: Butterfinger Buzz
Anytime a popular candy bar (like that of Butterfinger) can infuse attractive benefits (like that of caffeine), it’s a win/win combination for candy & caffeine-loving millennials. The bar carries as much caffeine as the leading energy drink. The whole package has 80 mg of caffeine (the same as an 8 ounce Red Bull). The company is only offering it for a limited time. The bar is in stores now and our community members are creating and getting buzzed off the product.
I found Butterfinger’s guerilla marketing approach to be pretty interesting – offering a free sample of the bar if the user stencils the ‘Butterfinger Buzz’ logo to their shaved heads. Believe it or not, people are doing this (speaks to the power of FREE)…as shown on their site and in their video campaign. They’re definitely going after the alterna-male demo who likes to take chances and rebel a bit.
The site for the product is really engaging! They feature different offerings that puts the product in play. Offering event information with cash prizes, a way to integrate the user by branding themselves with the BF logo for a free sample of the bar, a ‘shave your head’ game, a photo gallery of all those who shaved their head and branded themselves, as well as three videos that seems to act as their campaign.
Side note: Limited Edition products fascinate this generation. It calls for great urgency and impulsiveness to take action. Many companies in the food/beverage category are playing in the Limited Edition arena to test out products before investing time and money in production and distribution .
http://www.butterfinger.com/bcn/buzz/
Here’s what our community members are saying about this caffeinated candy bar:
“I love Butterfinger Buzz. I got a free sample at the mall a couple of weeks ago and was alert for the remainder of the day. Butterfinger is my favorite candy bar anyway, so it adding caffeine – makes it all the better. I am a fan!” – Jude, 17
“I took part in the Butterfinger Buzz stuff because I was at Floyds Barber Shop and they were doing an even there. They told me if I have my barber spray their logo on my head, my haircut would be free and I would get some samples of Butterfinger Buzz. I did it. What the hell. I get my hair buzzed off anyway. The bar was ok…tasted a little weird but loved the caffeine boost it gave me. It was like drinking a venti drip at starbucks.” – Dan, 19
“I am a Butterfinger junkie! I was in the store the other day and saw a display for the Butterfinger Buzz and nearly flipped over how they added caffeine. I think that’s so smart because people will start eating an awesome butterfinger then have to drink coffee or red bull! If you go to the site they have all sorts of cool things to play with. I like the idiots who took pictures of themselves with the butterfinger logo. There’s a whole gallery of those dopes. I also like the shave your head game!” – Billy, 16
Today’s Buzz – March 18, 2009
Topic: Frito Lays ‘Made for each Other’ TV & Web Campaign
The new Frito Lay ‘Made for each other’ campaign has gotten major buzz this week from our community members. The campaign is about celebrating great things that are a perfect match – and specifically the bond between chips & dips which leads to the “Made for each Other” campaign name. The community really attached to the clever approach taken by Frito Lays to take two of their products and wrap it around a special message (communing, bonding, matching) – without the in-your-face branding. Animation is always well received amongst this demo if done right. Frito Lay created very different animated characters (the circle, the magnet, the glasses, etc.) that were all very simple, yet cute and unique. The music behind each of the videos were all indie artists that the community made positive mention to. In fact, one of the things that the community members LOVED was after watching the videos on the site, Frito Lays offer you the artist bio and the option to buy the music.
A visit to the ‘Made for each other’ site is a must! There is some great animation, illustration and 3D work across three worlds and a multitude of quirky characters that you interact with in an attempt to match them with their soul-mate. No prominent branding throughout each of the ‘worlds’ – which again is received quite well among the community members and reveals that Frito Lay does not have to try that hard, pushing the brand down people’s throats (no pun intended). The site is just really cute and engaging and totally unpredictable. The way they designed it is brilliant because the user can’t help but spend a lot of time immersed on the site playing, creating, observing – and therefore time immersed in the Frito brandspace.
Here are the 5 different campaigns…and the link to the website is below as well:
Campaign #1 – “Love Sockets”…created by Blacklist, Melodium, Cobra Creative
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYolmh5LDbU&feature=player_embedded
Campaign #2 – “Circles”…created by Paranoid US
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj1XNjrJ-EY
Campaign #3 – “FireSprite”…created by Blacklist Pistachios
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DvEXO9puJw&feature=player_embedded
Campaign #4– “Little Bright Eyes”… created by PostPanic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8e0vyZueQA&feature=player_embedded
Campaign #5 – “Magnets”…created by Nexus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onGIUQjmsu8&feature=player_embedded
Website:
www.MadeForEachOther.com <http://www.MadeForEachOther.com>
FritoLayDips YouTube Page <http://www.youtube.com/user/FritoLayDips?feature=chclk>
What our community members are saying about the campaigns and website:
“I love the Circles video the best- it almost made me cry. Maybe because I am molado and always feel out of place in a world where everyone is the same color. So when I saw the yellow and blue come together – I got teary-eyed. If only it were that simple. . I think the ‘made for each other’ theme is really nice as well. And it’s smart they were able to show us that their dips and chips go well together – without saying it literally. I love Fritos anyway – but now I respect what they have done to promote their products Oh and check out their site…SUPER CUTE!” – Meagan, 18
“Oh my God, the new Frito commercials are the cutest things I have ever seen. I went to the site bc I saw it on the commercial and spent way too much time on their sending out love notes to my soul mates. I thought it was pretty cool that Frito Lay was not all over the place(just at the beginning) and let me do my thing without creeping in. I knew it was obviously their commercial and site but some brands just shove it down your throat. They did not. Really great job by Frito Lay to do something this warm-hearted. Love how they wanted to show that their dips are a match with their chips. I really loved the fact that I could download the songs in the videos – I am obsessed with the Leon Jean Marie the artist behind the ‘FireSpite’ video.” – Bianca, 17
“How cute are the new Frito Lays commercials…all of them…but my fave is Little Bright Eyes bc I wear glasses and it made me feel so much better about myself. And it’s a cartoon so it’s weird I felt that way. I am obsessed with the site. I have visit almost every day it sent my friends to it. It’s so cute! I like that you have to click on the characters on the screen and match them up. Sooooooooooo cute.” – Gail, 15
“I like the magnets video. So cute. I am craving love and fritos now 
.” – Stacie, 14
Topic: Rockville, CA on
Gossip Girl creator Josh Schwartz, is back at it again but this time with a web-series called “Rockville, CA” premiering today on thewb.com.
This online soap for theWB.com is set in a fictional rock club. According to the official description, the club in question “is a place where a group of twentysomethings from diverse backgrounds gather regularly to hear their favorite up-and-coming bands, blow off steam, fall in love with the wrong people, and then talk about how they’ve fallen in love with the wrong people.” What’s really impressive, though, is the lineup of bands that will be performing for the show: Lykke Li, Phantom Planet, Kaiser Chiefs, and Eagles of Death Metal are just a few.
This is Schwartz’s first web-experiment but if one thing is for sure, the man knows his drama – and how to put that drama to some good music. Teens fans of the show go to Gossipgirl.com to download the soundtrack after each show.
Whereas the trailer looks a little cheesy, with corny dialogue and not so talented actors – I do believe Schwartz has a winning combination in terms of millennial approved content – “music”, “gorgeous characters”, “drama”, “ romantic relationships” and “music”. The show’s success remains to be seen but my thought lies in The WB keeping the show top of mind among its audience after its debut. It will be interesting to see how The WB continues to build the hype and engage the millennial audience each week. Time will tell. Check out what our community is saying about the web series:
Trailer: http://www.thewb.com/shows/rockville-ca/solo-acts/ae89ea0d0c
What our community members are saying about Rockville, CA:
“I turn into Gossip Girl each week on CWtv.com. In fact when they took the online version down, my friends and I boycotted the show. How dare they do that. Anyway, I like watching TV on line because I can do other things at the same time. I am looking fwd to Josh Schwartz’s new show online called Rockville, CA. It’s on the wb though – which seems weird to me since he’s a cw guy. Anyway, he’s the best at creating drama and bringing new music to the masses.” – Jessica, 18
“I just wanted to let you know that a new show on wb.com is getting lots of buzz in my school – mainly bc it was created by the dude who did Gossip Girl. It’s called Rockville, CA and it’s about a music club. I love the music on GG so I hoping this show turns me on to new stuff as well. I checked out the trailer and there are a bunch of hotties in the show…so if nothing else, I get to drool throughout.” – Nanette, 16
“Rockville, CA looks kinds cheesy but then again, so did The Secret Life of An American Teenager – and I am so addicted to that show now. I don’t know how I feel about it only being an online show though. I know I will forget to watch it…so I think they should remind the viewers or add a contest each week so we come back to watch. From the trailer, the show seems to be DRAMA-filled. I love Drama! I also love Lykke Li – who is going to be performing on the show.” – Melissa, 17
