The Challenge

My day-to-day challenge at FOX 50 was to create excitement about our shows and initiatives. Sometimes I would do this through entertainment TV promos. Other times, I would do it through community-oriented social media content.

Did I HAVE to get into ridiculous costumes and allow myself to be broadcast across local television and the Internet? Of course not. But I was going for memorable and entertaining and (in my defense) I think it worked.

Sleepy Hollow – The Headless Horseman

To promote the show Sleepy Hollow, I dressed up in an iconic Headless Horseman costume provided by the network. My colleagues and I brainstormed different out-of-character scenarios to put the Headless Horseman in, from sightseeing in downtown Raleigh to being interviewed by WRAL news, to dancing for no apparent reason at all.

We even caught a glimpse of the poor guy leaving the restroom with toilet paper stuck to his shoe. How embarrassing.

Scream Queens – The Red Devil

Like the Headless Horseman costume, The Red Devil costume was provided by the network. The Red Devil was a character in Ryan Murphy’s horror comedy show Scream Queens. As the character, I made appearances at local radio stations and in our own Scream Queens recap show, Scream Time.

For Halloween, I created a YouTube how-to video to show fans of the show how to create their own replica of the Red Devil costume for under $100.

Twerky the Turkey

Unlike the other examples, this intentionally low-budget turkey costume was designed by me. So yes, I totally did this to myself. 🤦🏾

Twerky the Turkey was a character I created to promote our “Gimmee The Bird” contest to win a free Thanksgiving dinner by watching FOX 50 shows. Twerky’s only mission was to grab attention using humor and sheer ridiculousness.

I created several fictional scenarios to place Twerky in, from auditioning for XFactor to trying to become a MasterChef-worthy culinary expert. And, of course, Twerky twerked. It was kind of his thing. (What was I thinking?)

But I couldn’t just stop there, could I? Of course not. I needed to make sure I had fully drained myself of all self-respect. Capitalizing on current events, I photoshopped Twerky into his very own Kim Kardashian-styled magazine spread. But instead of the hashtag #BreakTheInternet, we chose #BasteTheInternet.

And there you have it. 🤷🏾

The Impact

All jokes aside, these costumes showcased the creative team’s humor and creativity to promote FOX shows. These campaigns were silly but on brand. And they truly did help us to generate more engagement and social buzz around our shows, ultimately leading to more viewers tuning in.