The Most New Shows and the Biggest Stars Power Global's Fall Advertising Campaign

Extensive National Marketing Plan Will Dominate Major Markets

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TORONTO, Sept. 5, 2012 /CNW/ - The fuse has been lit for an explosive fall season on Global. In anticipation of a spectacular schedule, the network today announced the details of its high impact advertising campaign for fall 2012, which is set to launch this week. Global's national marketing plan will utilize multiple platforms over multiple phases highlighting the network's extensive roster of new shows and popular returning programs.

Superstars like Lucy Liu and Jonny Lee Miller (Elementary), Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis (Vegas), André Braugher and Scott Speedman (Last Resort) will join cast members from Global's perennial favourites such as Glee, NCIS, NCIS:Los Angeles, Survivor: Philippines and Hawaii Five-0 to create an unbeatable combination of compelling, addictive television.

"This is shaping up to be one of the biggest and most innovative fall launches ever for Global," said Jamie Schouela, Vice President Marketing, Shaw Media. "We have highly anticipated programs right across the board and the reasons couldn't be more obvious: an unbeatable pedigree of stars and compelling plotlines that will leave TV fans hungry for more."

The unique nature of this fall's show concepts provided the ideal launching point to drive campaign tactics, especially with two of Global's high profile programs, Elementary and Vegas.

With its modern day take on Sherlock Holmes in New York City just after rehab who uses his sober coach Dr. Joan Watson to solve crimes, Elementary provides numerous marketing opportunities.

Global will run a series of launch-day print ads in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary for this new drama designed to not only inform, but also engage viewers. The ads will encourage readers to "deduce" like Sherlock Holmes via a series of crossword puzzles, word searches and double-take images.

Fuelling the passionate conversation about its programs through social media venues such as Twitter and Facebook has always been important to Global's year-round marketing objectives. This fall that conversation will be enhanced with targeted social media campaigns.

Global will ask viewers to take on the role of Sherlock Holmes and solve daily riddles for their chance to win a trip for two to New York City. Fans can look for the #ItsElementary hashtag each day from @Global_TV or find clues in the print ads, and then go to GlobalTV.com to solve the riddle. Viewers will also have the opportunity to play Global's custom-made online Elementary board game.

Vegas is a drama inspired by the true story of the clash between former Sheriff Ralph Lamb (Dennis Quaid) and Vincent Savino (Michael Chiklis), a ruthless Chicago gangster during the early days of Las Vegas.

Targeting the captive audiences aboard hundreds of WestJet flights bound for Las Vegas from Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary every day, Global has partnered with the airline to promote this compelling new drama. Throughout September and October, sneak previews of Vegas will be featured on WestJet's on-demand video channel and passengers will receive free decks of playing cards branded with the Vegas and Global logos.

With the plot of Vegas driven by the intense rivalry between Lamb and Savino, Global has created a unique social media campaign that encourages viewers to choose sides. Using Twitter and Facebook, viewers will be directed to a special GlobalTV.com microsite that will be divided into #TeamLamb and #TeamSavino, in which they can decide to join one team or the other. The fully branded site will feature character engagement and bios, exclusive scenes, real life stories from the early days of Vegas, social media widgets and an online promo campaign showcasing both the Lamb and Savino characters campaigning for their side.

"The fall season is like Christmas for TV fans," said Jason Keown, Senior Director of Marketing, Global Entertainment. "The anticipation is huge so we've created an aggressive campaign that will be hard to ignore, feeding that desire to connect with the most buzzed-about shows and to instil a real sense of 'I don't want to miss any of this' from start to finish."

That anticipation actually began building in early June when Global launched a strategic 10-second on-air teaser campaign that gradually expanded throughout the summer to include 20, 30, 40 and 60-second promos.

According to Keown, sneak previews have and will play an important role in Global's fall 2012 marketing plans. "We have already aired primetime episodes of our new comedies Go On (Matthew Perry), and Animal Practice, with each show reaching over 2 million Canadians (2+, Nat)." Plans are also set to provide an online sneak preview of its compelling ensemble drama about Chicago Firehouse 51. "With Jesse Spencer (House) in the lead, Chicago Fire will premiere Thursday, October 10^th and TV fans will have exclusive access to that first episode via GlobalTV.com beginning September 27^th."

In addition to these targeted initiatives, Global will execute one of its largest ever out-of-home campaigns in Toronto that will feature a subway domination at the Yonge and Bloor station along with an extensive outdoor billboard and transit buy.

Global will also be the first advertiser in the Canadian market to utilize digital grocery ad bars to promote its key programming line up. Using chip-based technology, the ad bars will transform a static device into an engaging media platform.

This comprehensive campaign is also supported by the following initiatives:

• A strong presence on signature outdoor billboards, digital boards and transit ads in high-traffic areas of the country's largest markets including Vancouver and Calgary
• An aggressive national radio buy in key markets across the country
• The Captivate Network which features ads on over 1400 screens in office towers
• Large print ads in newspapers coast to coast including the Toronto Star, Metro, Vancouver Sun, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, TOnight and many others
• Interactive Program Guide ads through numerous cable networks to capture viewers as they are making their last minute viewing decisions
• Ads placed on Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct customer invoice ads and envelopes
• Brief messages that play when a customer is on hold with Shaw Cable/Direct
• Ad banners on Shaw Cable/Shaw Direct websites/Eblasts to all Shaw customers
• Key Facebook placements and regular Tweets via Shaw accounts

The fall campaign was developed in-house by the Shaw Media marketing team.

Source: BBM Canada PPM Data, Total Canada, SM12 STD (May28-Aug27/12) - Confirmed to Aug19/12,  Ind 2+ CumRch (000) - airings on Global Total and US PPM stations

About Global Television
Global Television is a Shaw Media network.

About Shaw Communications Inc.
Shaw is a diversified communications and media company, providing consumers with broadband cable television, High-Speed Internet, Home Phone, telecommunications services (through Shaw Business), satellite direct-to-home services (through Shaw Direct) and engaging programming content (through Shaw Media). Shaw serves 3.4 million customers, through a reliable and extensive fibre network. Shaw Media operates one of the largest conventional television networks in Canada, Global Television, and 19 specialty networks including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, HISTORY and Showcase. Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX - SJR.B, NYSE - SJR). For more information about Shaw, please visit www.shaw.ca. 

SOURCE: Shaw Media

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Grace Park
Global Television
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Chris McDowall
Director of Publicity
Global Television
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