Going Deep

It's a big day when Brad is both featured in a New York Times article AND a TV show that he worked to create from the ground up has its premiere, so today the blog will "go deep" about the show "Clean Break." If you're wondering, isn't Brad a marketer (yes he is) and if so why is he making a TV show, well ........ it's complicated. The way it usually works for advertising on TV is that they (the marketers) make a commercial and then put it on a TV show which they believe their target consumer is going to be watching. "Clean Break" is different in that the entire show was created and produced by and for Schick Hydro (with lots of help from great creative partners) to showcase itself. BUT, there is no product placement within the show or any mention of the product on the show. (Don't worry, during the commercial break you'll get to see some Hydro commercials.) The idea is that they created a show which they think is exactly the type of content their consumer (18 to 34 year-old men) wants to watch and identify with. The premise behind the show is three 20something guys spend 10 days in Hawaii to get a "clean break" from the routine of their daily lives (while there they partake in exciting adventures and these experiences cause them to think about changes they might want to make in their lives once they return home), similar to the way that Schick would like men to take a "clean break" from the routine of always using the same razor (made by their arch-competitor, who shall remain nameless). We were in Hawaii when the Maui portion of the show (episodes 4-6) was filmed. The footage is great, the camera work is fantastic (here's a link to a blurb from the company that filmed it), the story is compelling, and it's just plain fun to watch. "Clean Break" airs for six weeks on FuelTV, beginning tonight at 11:00 p.m. (The full episodes will be available on Fuel's website after they air on TV.) In addition, Schick partnered with Yahoo!Screen to show mini-episodes on its website (which you can view right now). There's also the usual Facebook page which has links to much of what I've just mentioned (if you want to make Brad's day you can "like" their page). And for a more professional version of what I've been trying to say here, there has been lot of press for "Clean Break" today, and here's a sample. So whether you're an 18 to 34 year-old male who would love to have this exact type of "clean break," or whether you're anyone else and would simply like to vicariously escape for a few minutes to Hawaii with these guys, the universal message is that taking a break from routine is a good thing. I hope you have a chance to watch some of "Clean Break" and that you enjoy it!