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My favorite new show has quickly become Men of a Certain Age, which airs on TNT Monday nights. Besides the fact that it’s a great show to watch, what I really love about it is the branding and marketing of it. Ill review and critique some ads to show you what I mean.
The premise, in case you haven’t seen it, is 3 middle aged men in LA all dealing with their own issues (divorce, kids, job, etc) and finding support in one anothers friendship. Everyone is dealing with these changes in their lives, and are forced with decisions every day that will shape their immediate futures. In a sense, at least one character finds himself at a cross roads every episode.
Also used in the promo is, I think, the best song they could possibly have selected: The Beach Boys’ “when I grow up”. The song’s teenage character is pondering what life will be like once grown up. “Will I dig the same things that turn me on as a kid?” The song has a line or two that seems to directly deal with each character in the show. Its so perfect its like Brian Wilson wrote the song just for the show. Id also like to add that the music selection throughout the episodes so far have been great. No one likes Joe’s (Ray Romano) musical taste, but he always insist how great it is, on top of the songs being relevant to the story. In episode #4, after Joe and his bookie friend enjoy a “wild night out” at the hotel where they periodically talk of ex wives and what-ifs , they wake up hung over at the pool the next morning while Marshall Tucker Bands’ “Cant You See” plays. “…cant you see what that woman has done to me”
Finally, this may be my favorite piece of promotional material. The obvious element is the glass half full or empty? There’s pessimistic and optimistic traits between each of the characters, so it gives you a bit more insight to each one of them. They all look as if they’re trapped inside and a bit helpless. So is the everyday life of these 3 men. The glass appears to just be a glass but I think its also the same style used at the diner they regularly meet at for lunch. The water level may also signify their lives being half over.
Marketing 101 note: You’ll notice that in almost every picture of the 3 guys together, Romano is in the middle. That’s not because he plays a more important character but because he brings the biggest star power to the show, attracting the most attention and being the most recognizable and prominent figure. That’s who they want you to notice. The same technique is used in political debates. Remember the ’08 Democratic debates? Obama, Clinton, and Biden always were positioned in the middle. Same for the Republican debates with McCain.
