The Smoothest Sell

"I'm Ira Glass and you're listening to This American Life"-- listening, not watching. Because as we all know, This American Life is a radio show. But last night, I watched This American Life, live, in a movie theater. To recap, that's a radio show, broadcast live from New York, seen (as well as heard) in real images in real-time on a giant movie theater screen?

One might say that is a strange combination of different media.

Some of you may know that Showtime worked with Ira Glass to create a 6-episode pilot season of This American Life, the TV series, last year-- bringing the stories of America into the Era of Pictures. This ruffled some longtime listeners, as the show was viewed as "selling out" to the medium that radio purists might say killed the radio, TV. But despite some objections, TAL became a radio / TV show last year.

Last night, it became a radio show / TV show / live event / movie. Ira and company were broadcasting live from New York, sending out a live signal to movie theaters across the nation. TAL might have recorded live shows before, and broadcast to radios across the country, but never have simul-cast images as a layover, as they did last night. It was hard to imagine what I was watching-- was it a movie (the smell of popcorn and a huge screen), a live event (a stage and presenters with Q&A), a TV show (TAL the series), or the radio show (Ira's voice) that I have always loved?

That's when I realized that it was a hybrid of all of these, but with a defined purpose.

Leaving the show, I was entertained and happy-- I had just seen what amounted to an exclusive-showing, long-play TAL with pictures. Quite possibly I had just witnessed some form of entertainment heaven. But this entertainment made me a consumer and led me to an action. How's that? The screening of TAL on the big screen in the media melee last night really amounted to a Season 2 preview for the show (that's right folks, it was advertising, or at least, some form of it).

During the movie / radio show / event / TV show, Ira casually mentioned that Showtime's season two of TAL was beginning on Sunday. Although a regular listener of the TAL podcast, I often listen well after the fact (like many Americans), and would have absolutely missed the opener of the second season of the TV show Sunday had I not been sitting there.

Whew-- just in time to set my DVR.

I think the event / movie / radio show / TV show I saw was incredible, and it just might have been the smoothest sell I have ever had in marketing, too. My DVR is ready for Sunday.

Is yours?