Characters welcome. That’s USA Network’s brand slogan and motto. Now the NBC Universal network is showing how brand positioning can reach into communities and drive viewership — while at the same time becoming something more.
Characters welcome. That’s USA Network’s brand slogan and motto. Now the NBC Universal network is showing how brand positioning can reach into communities and drive viewership — while at the same time becoming something more.
On March 13, USA debuted its Character Project and companion book, “American Character,” at a party in New York City co-hosted by Vanity Fair magazine. The projects are part of the network’s effort to celebrate the characters of the United States through photography.
In association with the Aperture Foundation, a non-profit photography organization, USA enlisted 11 world-class photographers whose cameras captured hundreds of characters ranging from sustainable farmers in Washington State to travelers along transcontinental Route 50 to those caught in the rituals of getting a trim at barbershops in New York. The gallery of photos will tour seven U.S. cities, including Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Lenora Claire, from L.A., was one of the featured characters in the gallery. Over the years, magenta-haired Claire has performed in the circus, walked on glass and even eaten light bulbs. “What makes me a character?” she said at the New York event, “I could go on forever.”
In each city, the network will work with local affiliates and school districts to host field trips to the exhibits and in-school lesson plans that celebrate the character within us all. High school students within each local market will have the opportunity to submit photos that capture “characters” in their own city. Local winners will then meet a featured photographer and have their photos displayed at the Character Project exhibition in their market. Winners also receive a digital camera and a grant to support arts education in his or her school.
“By partnering with our affiliates to bring this artistic initiative to local communities, high school students will have the opportunity to explore the meaning of the word ‘character’ in a unique way that we hope will have a lasting impact on their education,” said Brian Hunt, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Sales Strategy, TV Networks Distribution, NBC Universal.
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By Vivek Kemp, GE Reporter at Large
