The CW show Gossip Girl, now almost
a cult classic, took an interesting approach when advertising for their second
season. The show, which was targeted to young teenagers, depicted the
completely unrealistic lives of mostly four young Upper East Siders. The main
characters of the show had control of an unlimited money supply, while sex,
drugs, and alcohol where in almost every episode. Following its first season,
the show received some backlash for its adult content marketed to youth, and
the producers decided to use this to advantage.
The new ads used those negatives reviews like “Mind-blowingly
inappropriate,” and plastered them on a poster of two people laying in bed
together. Or,
“A nasty piece of work” shown
written above two characters making-out in a pool.
The
producers of the show really didn’t care wheat the parents thought. They weren’t
their targets the kids were. Using this ad technique made the kids want to
watch even more, because their parents didn’t approve, and watching the show
was a tiny bit of rebellion. It also plays on the old adage that sex sells. The
technique worked, because the show went on to become widely popular, and is to
this day. I think the ads are funny, and a little bit of wink advertising. It
is bad that such adult themes are in shows targeted to younger audiences, but
the ads were still clever, and they still worked.
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