Getting Upfront About Great TV: New National Ad Campaign from ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment Urges Broadcast Networks to Bring Their Best Family Pilots to Air This Fall
May 7, 2012 New York, N.Y. — Today, the Association of National Advertisers’ Alliance for Family Entertainment (ANA AFE) launched an extensive national print advertising campaign in advertising and entertainment trades plus key business publications. Timed to precede next week’s broadcast networks upfront presentations, the campaign encourages broadcast TV network partners and content creators to consider family pilots in their 2012-13 season programming announcements.
Ads signed by 23 major advertisers signaled their desire for a change in the TV landscape. Running in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Advertising Age and Variety, the ad is an “open letter” from ANA AFE’s members, who collectively control one out of every three dollars spent on network television advertising.
The “open letter” encourages network executives to remember that television audiences are more diverse and fragmented than ever. But they all have one thing in common: Family.
The ad reminds broadcasters and storytellers that “high quality, relevant Family TV shows are proven winners with viewers, advertisers and the networks.” It pledges that when family shows are brought to air, AFE member companies will support them with ad dollars.
The effort kicks off a year-long public relations campaign about the importance of family programming on all media platforms.
“There’s no better time than the upfront, when all eyes are on what’s in the pipeline, to remind broadcast network chiefs and show creators the power of modern family programming,” explains ANA President and CEO Bob Liodice. “We want to let our network and creative partners know that the nation’s largest advertisers are ready to support family pilots. We’re hoping that a future hit or two will get that extra push it needs to make it onto the fall schedule.”
“We’re constantly talking with the networks about what they have in development but this is make or break time for new shows,” adds Michael Palmer, EVP, ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment. “It is absolutely the best time of the year for our advocacy efforts to be heard, and with this campaign, we’re making sure they will be.”
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About the ANA and the ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment
The mission of the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) is to drive growth for marketing professionals, brands and businesses, the industry, and humanity. The ANA serves the marketing needs of 20,000 brands by leveraging the 12-point ANA Growth Agenda, which has been endorsed by the Global CMO Growth Council. The ANA’s membership consists of U.S. and international companies, including client-side marketers, nonprofits, fundraisers, and marketing solutions providers (data science and technology companies, ad agencies, publishers, media companies, suppliers, and vendors). The ANA creates Marketing Growth Champions by serving, educating, and advocating for more than 50,000 industry members that collectively invest more than $400 billion in marketing and advertising annually.
The Alliance for Family Entertainment (AFE) is a group of national advertisers representing approximately 30% of all U.S. television advertising dollars. Its mission is to find, nurture, develop and support high quality content the entire family can enjoy on multiple distribution platforms. It has helped find, support and bring to broadcast primetime TV more than 20 hits, including Gilmore Girls, Everybody Hates Chris and Friday Night Lights.
Press Contacts:
Patty Kerr
ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment
pkerr@spkllc.com
310.344.4487
Luna Newton
CooperKatz & Co. for the ANA
lnewton@cooperkatz.com
917.595.3061