Prayer works. Press Coverage Helps!
Dear [Important Person],
I am forwarding this press release to you on behalf of 'Veronica Mars' fans all over the country who fear that poor ratings will keep this critically acclaimed series from joining the lineup when UPN and the WB come together to form the CW in the fall.
The new network will announce their freshman schedule on May 18, 2006, so in a last minute aggressive push to save our favorite show, we hired a plane to fly over Los Angeles and Burbank carrying our message. The banner will visible from the 405 between Wilshire Blvd. and the 101 during peak commuting hours tomorrow -- the day of the 'Veronica Mars' season finale.
The flight plan has already been discussed on numerous chat boards and on various blogs, and was even addressed in an online discussion between TV columnist Lisa de Moreas of the WASHINGTON POST and her readers. The final piece of our campaign, of course, is ensuring that someone covers the event. Lead organizers are available for comment, but we feel that the story is 'Veronica Mars' and why she deserves to be saved, the plane merely serves as a news hook for bringing that discussion to the forefront.
Thank for your time and consideration. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about 'Veronica Mars' or the 'Look to the Skies' campaign.
My Name
'Veronica Mars' fan
Boston, MA
My phone number
PRESS RELEASE
May 8, 2006
"Look to the Skies"
A dedicated group of VERONICA MARS fans is pulling out all the stops to support the show’s move to the new CW network.
Their biggest effort is ensuring that for two hours in the morning (8-10am) and two hours in the afternoon (4-6pm) on TUESDAY, MAY 9, the day of the VERONICA MARS season finale, "CW" will stand for something entirely different: CLOUD WATCHERS.
Fans have hired a plane, banner in tow, to fly between the UPN offices in Los Angeles and the future site of the CW headquarters in Burbank. Should those in charge of the fictional private eye's future look to the skies for guidance, the message from her fans will be clear:
"RENEW VERONICA MARS! CW 2006!"
When asked why the big gesture, the group's lead organizer said:
"When I learned the fate of VERONICA MARS was once again up in the air, I decided to take a page out of Veronica’s book and take action. Rather than passively wait for others to decide whether or not I would get another year of mind-blowing mysteries, I proposed something fun and splashy and out-there -- a last ditch, grassroots effort to save something I love dearly. It's clearly absurd, but that's why it has the potential to be effective. Some fandoms sign online petitions, VERONICA MARS fans send airborne messages!"
The Cloud Watchers raised over $5000 - in just 4 days - from fans on various websites.
Once the plane was paid for, a significant portion of the remaining funds was used to purchase DVDs of the show's first season for libraries in major television markets across the country. As an alternative to monetary donations, the Cloud Watchers encouraged fans who wanted to contribute to purchase VERONICA MARS DVDs for their hometown libraries. Thanks to the combined efforts of these two drives, over 100 sets of DVDs - at a cost of $4000 - have been donated and accepted.
On MONDAY, MAY 8, care packages containing VERONICA MARS-inspired gifts, information about the plane's flight plan, and binoculars -- to aid decision makers when they look to the skies -- will be delivered to future CW executives, those in charge at the new network's parent companies, and influential people in the entertainment media.
Fans are confident that these gestures will tip the scales in Veronica's favor. A spokesperson explains:
"VERONICA MARS is not going to be renewed for her ratings. The show is a critical success, but its network placement and constant preemptions have compromised its already fragile standings. What Veronica does have going for her, however, is a rabid fanbase. A loyal fanbase means a loyal following at a new network as it struggles to establish itself in a competitive market. If the CW brings Veronica with them to Burbank, we're following. We've even hired a plane to point other people in the right direction."
I am forwarding this press release to you on behalf of 'Veronica Mars' fans all over the country who fear that poor ratings will keep this critically acclaimed series from joining the lineup when UPN and the WB come together to form the CW in the fall.
The new network will announce their freshman schedule on May 18, 2006, so in a last minute aggressive push to save our favorite show, we hired a plane to fly over Los Angeles and Burbank carrying our message. The banner will visible from the 405 between Wilshire Blvd. and the 101 during peak commuting hours tomorrow -- the day of the 'Veronica Mars' season finale.
The flight plan has already been discussed on numerous chat boards and on various blogs, and was even addressed in an online discussion between TV columnist Lisa de Moreas of the WASHINGTON POST and her readers. The final piece of our campaign, of course, is ensuring that someone covers the event. Lead organizers are available for comment, but we feel that the story is 'Veronica Mars' and why she deserves to be saved, the plane merely serves as a news hook for bringing that discussion to the forefront.
Thank for your time and consideration. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about 'Veronica Mars' or the 'Look to the Skies' campaign.
My Name
'Veronica Mars' fan
Boston, MA
My phone number
PRESS RELEASE
May 8, 2006
"Look to the Skies"
A dedicated group of VERONICA MARS fans is pulling out all the stops to support the show’s move to the new CW network.
Their biggest effort is ensuring that for two hours in the morning (8-10am) and two hours in the afternoon (4-6pm) on TUESDAY, MAY 9, the day of the VERONICA MARS season finale, "CW" will stand for something entirely different: CLOUD WATCHERS.
Fans have hired a plane, banner in tow, to fly between the UPN offices in Los Angeles and the future site of the CW headquarters in Burbank. Should those in charge of the fictional private eye's future look to the skies for guidance, the message from her fans will be clear:
"RENEW VERONICA MARS! CW 2006!"
When asked why the big gesture, the group's lead organizer said:
"When I learned the fate of VERONICA MARS was once again up in the air, I decided to take a page out of Veronica’s book and take action. Rather than passively wait for others to decide whether or not I would get another year of mind-blowing mysteries, I proposed something fun and splashy and out-there -- a last ditch, grassroots effort to save something I love dearly. It's clearly absurd, but that's why it has the potential to be effective. Some fandoms sign online petitions, VERONICA MARS fans send airborne messages!"
The Cloud Watchers raised over $5000 - in just 4 days - from fans on various websites.
Once the plane was paid for, a significant portion of the remaining funds was used to purchase DVDs of the show's first season for libraries in major television markets across the country. As an alternative to monetary donations, the Cloud Watchers encouraged fans who wanted to contribute to purchase VERONICA MARS DVDs for their hometown libraries. Thanks to the combined efforts of these two drives, over 100 sets of DVDs - at a cost of $4000 - have been donated and accepted.
On MONDAY, MAY 8, care packages containing VERONICA MARS-inspired gifts, information about the plane's flight plan, and binoculars -- to aid decision makers when they look to the skies -- will be delivered to future CW executives, those in charge at the new network's parent companies, and influential people in the entertainment media.
Fans are confident that these gestures will tip the scales in Veronica's favor. A spokesperson explains:
"VERONICA MARS is not going to be renewed for her ratings. The show is a critical success, but its network placement and constant preemptions have compromised its already fragile standings. What Veronica does have going for her, however, is a rabid fanbase. A loyal fanbase means a loyal following at a new network as it struggles to establish itself in a competitive market. If the CW brings Veronica with them to Burbank, we're following. We've even hired a plane to point other people in the right direction."