Internet: Hitting a Homer
The Simpsons Global Fanfest scored around the world.
Twentieth Century Fox has long considered The Simpsons its TV crown jewel. But the network never fully realized just how passionate fans were until last year.
To celebrate the series’ milestone anniversary, Fox parent News Corp. hit upon an idea for a year-long, multi-channel celebration called The Simpsons Global Fanfest that would tap into the worldwide media giant’s many divisions.
“We were surprised at how fast it grew,” says Kayne Lanahan, senior vp at Fox parent News Corp. “Yes, The Simpsons is popular, but it’s a 10-year-old property and we weren’t sure if it had the same buzz it used to have. But once we started, it took off like a rocket.”
Simpsons enthusiasts proved equal to even the most infamous of rabid fans: “This was on par with anything you’d see from Trekkies or Star Wars fans,” says Spencer Moseska, vp-brand development at Fox News Corp.
The central component to the Global Fanfest was the relaunch of thesimpsons.com, which proved to be Fox News Digital Media’s most popular reintroduction ever. It was also the event which kicked off the year-long festivities on Jan. 14, 2000. “We had a 10-year-old property and no official Web site,” says Moseska. “The Global Fanfest presented the perfect opportunity.”
The frenzy began immediately. Daily page views leapt 681 percent on launch day, and soon ramped up to 14 million per month — up from the previous average of 1.6 million.
Not a single dime of out-of-pocket marketing expenses supported the launch. But who needs cash when you’ve got News Corp. resources? Thesimpsons.com was tagged on countless consumer touch points including on-air promos, home video trailers, merchandise, packaging, partner promotions, and point-of-purchase materials.
The carrot used to attract visitors to the site was Bart Bowl, a 10-month-long trivia game which ultimately attracted more than 350,000 contestants. Players could visit each day to answer 10 new trivia questions and gain entry into a sweeps awarding winners an all-expenses paid trip to the Fanfest finale, a weekend celebration in Los Angeles.
At the Fanfest, contest winners and other assorted guests were treated to private music performances, Hollywood tours, and athletic competitions — all with a Simpsons theme.
The festival concluded with a Backlot Bash where 3,000 fans, winners, and guests gathered on the Fox Studio lot. The grand finale featured a live performance from The Simpsons voice talent.
The Fanfest recruited 32 partners around the globe. In the U.S., 7-Eleven was named official Simpsons Global Fanfest headquarters for the months of July and August. Select 7-Eleven stores around the country hosted “Springfield for a Day” activities featuring Simpsons characters at ribbon-cutting ceremonies. In Canada, Hostess Frito-Lay offered instant-win cash prizes inside bags of Lay’s and Doritos, and flew grand prize winners to Fanfest Weekend. Pepsi-Cola Canada ran a Simpsons Million Dollar Cash Grab” instant-win game. Australian restaurant chain Red Rooster gave away Simpsons premiums.
All that activity sparked online sales as well. Inventory at the site’s store swelled from 18 licensed products to more than 250, and in just three months sales exceeded all fox.com property sales for 1999 combined. Since January 2000, the store has sold more than 35,000 items.
So, how rabid are Simpsons fans? Although the site has been static for the last few months (due to an internal reorganization at News Corp.), about 200,000 fans are still visiting monthly.
Homer would be proud.
Supporting Cast
Kayne Lanahan, News Corp.
Spencer Moseska, News Corp.
Jordan Kurzweil, Fox.com
John Richmond, Fox News Digital
