'Warehouse 13' Promos Lead Way for Syfy's Summer

Returning Dramedy Backed With Movie Ads, Fast Food Presence

by Kent Gibbons -- Multichannel News, 6/16/2010 10:58:34 AM

Syfy is putting marketing moxie behind Warehouse 13, setting the tone for its summer slate.
Syfy has five new and returning shows launching over two weeks in July, and is pouring promotion dollars behind Warehouse 13 to start them off with a bang. The others are returning Eureka and new series Haven on July 9; and reality block Mary Knows Best and Fact or Faked on July 15.
For season one of WH13, Syfy did some small, attention-getting promotions, including eye-catching tags on objects at flea markets that drove viewers to Syfy.com. The connection: Warehouse 13 is centered on a huge storage facility with thousands of paranormally powered objects.
This summer, Warehouse 13 will be advertised in summer blockbuster films Eclipse, Jonah Hex, Knight and Day, The Last Airbender, The A-Team and The Karate Kid. Backing outdoor media in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Detroit, Syfy will promote the show in more than 1,300 fast-food restaurants like Carl's Jr., KFC and Wendy's.
"This time, we decided drive a big truck up the middle and get all our bases covered," Callaway said.
Syfy's taken on the challenge of doing "tweecaps" -- episode summaries of 140 characters or less -- on Twitter.
In every episode, a symbol of the astrological calendar will be hidden or referenced, driving viewers to Syfy.com's Warehouse 13 site to point out where they spotted that week's symbol. Callaway said that will be a way to track viewer response through the summer.

Syfy.com's WH13 site will have new games such as an "Agent Profile Center," where users can create their own agent profiles; it's also available as an iPhone App. The site will provide full episodes the day after they premiere on-air, along with mini-documentaries, video blogs and sneak peeks, as well as cast Twitter feeds.

WH13 will be seen on YouTube, Facebook, Meebo, and Takeover Yahoo! Messenger, along with custom content (including video embedding and season pass recaps) created for digital distribution partners from iTunes, XBox 360, Zune, Amazon.com, Hulu, IMDb and Sony Play Station.

Season one now is available on on Syfy.com, Hulu and video on demand.

Syfy's partnering with AMC Theatres on a promotion, enabling moviegoers to win $13 gift cards courtesy of Warehouse 13.
Warehouse 13 will be promoted at outdoor movie festivals. For the third consecutive year, Syfy will sponsor Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy's outdoor film series "Movies with a View." This year's partnership with Time Out New York will be highlighted by the country's first ever RealD 3D outdoor screening on Thursday, July 15: Monsters vs Aliens.

Syfy will also promote Warehouse 13 at the Hudson River Flicks outdoor movie series, running July 7-Aug. 18.

Syfy affiliates are being offered a "Warehouse 13 Pick & Pack Promotion." It features a Warehouse 13-branded Web site where participating affiliates can redeem points to select -- via a virtual forklift -- cutting-edge electronics and gift cards to warehouse stores. The enrollment deadline is June 22. The promotion will run through Aug. 17.

Continuing its major media presence at ComicCon in San Diego July 21-25, Syfy will present a Warehouse 13 talent panel along with themed menu items at Café Diem, the channel's official convention headquarters.