Cannes Lions

The President Show's "Mar-a-Lago Billboard"

COMEDY CENTRAL, New York / COMEDY CENTRAL / 2018

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Overview

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Credits

Overview

Description

The creative drew inspiration from iconic White House Oval Office portraits, in which U.S. presidents are often depicted sitting behind an oversized executive desk. Navy, white and, of course, gold fill the composition, but the focal point is the series' star in character, featured prominently in all his presidential glory. In lieu of a pen, as many American presidents are often captured with, the "president" holds note cards – a subtle nod to the show's late-night format. Behind him, some Russian dolls. Perhaps a gift from a favorite foreign leader?

This imagery was complemented with a custom line written in the president's signature tone and lexicon: "Another golf trip? Sad!"

The creative for The President Show had all the superficial presidential trappings, but upon further examination, it subtly and humorously captured the spirit and likeness of the series, as well as the absurdity of the very administration it parodied.

Execution

President Donald J. Trump was inaugurated on January 20, 2017, and The President Show premiered April 27, 2017. In just three short months, the entire creative vision for the series and the strategy for its launch were developed. During this period, the president became notorious for his controversial, weekly trips to his beloved Mar-a-Lago Club. So to capitalize on the incredible media attention these trips were receiving, Comedy Central designed and purchased a billboard in West Palm Beach, Florida, a stone's throw away from Mar-a-Lago and directly on the president's route from the airport. When "The President Show Mar-a-Lago Billboard" posted immediately after one of the president's weeklong stints at the club, and just three days prior to the show's launch, Comedy Central was able to ride the wave of press and consumer attention straight into the premiere.

Outcome

"The President Show Mar-a-Lago Billboard" captured the attention of the press and consumers alike, and drove awareness of the series premiere. The billboard was well-received and featured on AdAge, Variety and Splitsider, among other publications, and fans on Twitter said they "love this billboard," and called the execution "savage" and "the best ad placement ever." When the show premiered on April 27, 2017, the airing was the highest-rated Comedy Central weekly series in over three years (L+3), delivering over 1MM total viewers, according to Nielsen.

Links to some of the coverage:

http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/president-show-anthony-atamanuik-donald-trump-late-night-comedy-central-1202393354/http://adage.com/article/digital/failing-york-times-comedy-central-ads/308824/

http://splitsider.com/2017/04/comedy-central-bought-a-billboard-for-the-president-show-three-miles-away-from-mar-a-lago/

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