’Seinfeld’ Bus Blitzing College Campuses
For college students who may not know much about that renowned NBC sitcom about nothing, Sony Pictures Television is bringing the “Seinfeld” to campuses around the country in a tour intended to spark interest in the widely syndicated series.
The interior of the tour bus, which arrives in New York City’s Union Square on Thursday, comprises a mini-museum of Seinfeld memorabilia, including props from the series such as the doll that bore an unsettling resemblance to the George Costanza character’s mother, the “man-zier” created by Kramer and George’s father and the Superman figure from Jerry Seinfeld’s book shelf. An Emmy Award the show earned is also on display, along with characters’ costumes.
The rear interior of the bus replicates part of Monk’s Diner, where the characters frequently convened in scenes from the series, where they can sample frozen yogurt from Kramer’s Yogurt Kounter. They can also relax on a red leather sofa and watch mounted plasma TVs showing “Seinfeld” clips and interviews with cast members.
The objective of the 30-city tour is to bring members of the millennial generation into the “Seinfeld” tent – or reinforce their viewing interest if they’re already there.
“It’s really about these millennials,” said Gary Kleinman, president of Yardstick Partners, which conceived and executed the bus tour for Sony’s TV unit. “It gives them an opportunity to enjoy the show as the generations before them as well.”
Visitors can win prizes, including digital cameras, and branded T-shirts and key chains by playing a “Seinfeld” trivia game and a “Marine Biologist Hole-in-One” putting game, aiming at a whale’s blow-hole.
The tour bus, its companion branded tents and three interactive laptop kiosks covers a 1,700-foot display. The target audience will be students at nearby New York University, who figure to be more well-informed than most of their peers about the New York-centric comedy.
Under on of those tents, visitors can record their impressions of characters from the series for projection on a plasma screen. They can also pose for pictures with cutouts of the “Seinfeld” cast and retrieve the shots on a website set up for that purpose.
Three interactive laptop kiosks also offer visitors a chance to check out content on “Seinfeld” MySpace, Facebook and the “Seinfeld” Web site.
Yardstick is employing campus “ambassadors” who are helping to build awareness of the tour by deploying door hangers and posters.
The tour is expected to run through November, but Kleinman reports that his company keeps fielding requests for additional stops as the bus moves on.
“People can’t get enough of ‘Seinfeld’ and the something about nothing that it is,” he said.
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