Whether the American TV viewing audience will be sated with reality-based shows is now a question for programmers to consider, but Survivor, airing on CBS, is undeniably the summer’s television event.
The premise, real people trying to outlast the others while marooned on a remote island in order to win $1 million, has captivated people caught up in the drama of who will be the ultimate survivor. As a sponsor of the show, Reebok sensed that Survivor would be popular, and tapped agency Berlin, Cameron & Partners (BC&P), New York, to craft a series of spots loosely connected to the show’s premise. The ads air exclusively during the Survivor broadcasts.
Ewen Cameron, director of planning at BC&P, compares Survivor to Seinfeld, in terms of its enormous popularity. But neither Reebok nor the agency, he believes, could have predicted the level of response to Survivor.
"What we did think was that it would work for the core target," says Cameron. "We’re aware of that target having grown up with MTV, The Real World and reality television. So we wanted to go to the edge [with the ads] and wanted to do [scenarios] that would relate to that audience." Although some of the daring material in the spots may make some feel a little uncomfortable, says Cameron, they were confident the target audience would get the joke.
The humorous spots, all directed by Jeff Gorman of Hollywood-based JGF, feature two 20-something characters, Nate and Brian, who find themselves in precarious situations and use survivor techniques. Unfortunately for Brian, Nate keeps giving him bad advice he’s picked up from survivor shows. In "Really Hungry," the duo is on the beach of a seemingly deserted island with no food when Nate suggests eating worms. As they ingest the snack, a man runs by with his dog. The two then realize the island is inhabited after all.
In "Poison Oak," Brian announces his need to relieve himself and takes a handful of leaves Nate gives him. All is well until a jogger passes by on the trail, and warns the two to watch out for the poison oak. In "Venom," Nate suggests a shortcut and Brian is bit in the leg by a poisonous snake. Nate offers to suck the venom out and kneels on the ground to do so. A wide shot, combined with the moans of the bitten guy, gives the impression that the two are engaged in a sexual act. At least, that’s the conclusion drawn by the female jogger who runs by on a path—prompting Brian to push Nate away and yell after the woman.
In "Leeches," part of a second round of ads, Nate insists he and Brian wade across a marshy bog. Brian emerges with leeches stuck all over his body and frantically begs Nate to help him pull the bloodsuckers off him. But the pal draws the line when Brian—recalling a scene in the film Stand By Me—lifts the waistband of his underwear to look at what is apparently a leech. In a bit of clever casting, the jogger who passes by and mutters "Loser," is portrayed by ex-Survivor castaway Stacey Stillman, who was booted off the island in episode three.
The agency went with the comedy approach hoping to snare 18-to 24-year-old males, who comprise the core of Survivor’s audience, says Cameron. "The target is very indifferent to most advertising messages and lifestyle stuff," he says. "But what they are, though, is very conscious of humor, absurdity, irony and self-reference when it comes to commercials. They’re so aware of advertising that they kind of like stuff that pokes fun at the whole medium itself. We know that humor, and absurd humor in particular, breaks through to them. The movies they’re watching—from There’s Something About Mary to this summer’s Scary Movie—have that same humor."
The simple idea of bad advice versus good advice, as well as the premise of survival-type settings, lent itself to a number of scenarios, notes Cameron. What makes the ads funny, he believes, is their self-conscious absurdity. In "Leeches" for instance, it’s ridiculous for the characters to take such dramatic survival measures when they’re really in a forest, probably somewhere in the suburbs. The comedy is enhanced by the actors’ slightly hammy performances.
Although CBS may have taken a chance by allowing such risque humor as in "Venom" to air, the network did ban a spot that showed the characters drinking their own urine. "It was too distasteful from CBS’ censorial point of view," says Cameron.
The first round of Reebok spots consisted of "Really Hungry," "Poison Oak" and "Venom," while "Leeches" kicked off the second leg of the campaign. Several more spots are slated to break that reportedly feature another ex-castaway.
Credit for the suggestion to cast former Survivor cast members in cameos goes to BC&P account director Simon Little, says Cameron. "The thinking [on the Survivor casting] was, ‘How do we keep a step ahead of what everyone else is doing?,’ " explains Cameron, referring to competitors capitalizing on the show’s popularity with their own Survivor-themed advertising. He adds that even if viewers don’t recognize the cameo, it doesn’t make the spot any less funny.
The agency creative team on the Reebok campaign includes Cameron, who oversaw the first round of Reebok spots, and creative director Lance Paul, who worked on the second round; art director Julio Pardo; copywriter Michelle Novella; and producer Lisa Young.
Cameron promises that the last two spots that are under wraps will push the theme even farther, and will feature a few of Survivor’s participants. "We’re going to try to do something really surprising," he says of the ads, which are slated to air during a two-hour episode—the "Super Bowl of the summer," believes Cameron.
Although Reebok will likely do more ads for Survivor II, it may not necessarily look to other reality-based shows for advertising inspiration. "I don’t know if the next reality-based show will [capture people’s imagination as Survivor has done]," says Cameron. "I suspect not." f
