Changes are a foot for the next season of American Idol, and they start with the marketing, which TPTB promise will be “more real”, “more raw” and “more intimate”
From TV Week:
But after playing up the notion of “Idol†contestants as outsized personalities in last year’s pre-launch promotional campaign, Fox marketing chief Joe Earley has decided to scale things back for season eight.
The changes to the marketing, which come in the wake of a 9% decline in “Idol’s†ratings in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic last season, are in part a reflection of some of the expected tweaks to “Idol†next season, Mr. Earley explained.
“The show is more real, it’s back to its roots,†he said. “It doesn’t have a veneer.â€
Mike Darnell, Fox’s president of alternative programming, said it’s too soon to offer specifics about the changes in the works. He did say, however, that “Idol†would be “more intimate†and “more raw†than last year.
“It’s going back to letting the kids be more emotional and seeing more of their reality,†he said. “We’re going to allow the public to see a little more of their emotional state.â€
Overall, he said there “are subtle changes and there are bigger-than-subtle changes. But I wouldn’t call anything ‘radical.’â€
More episodes of the kids competing in the grueling Hollywood round would be a good start. The pre-performance video packages could be edited to reveal more about the contestant’s personalities. It’s all good, as long as the “raw emotion” isn’t manipulated or manufactured.
Mr. Darnell said that on a scale of one to 10, his excitement level regarding the tweaks to the show ranks at an 8.
“And I’m a 9 when it comes to the talent,†he added. “We just got done with Hollywood Week, and the talent and the characters we have are the best since season five.â€
Eh. When have TPTB ever said, “This year’s talent really sucks!”. The ratings may have peaked during Season 5, which is why Darnell makes the comparison, but I’m not convinced that the talent peaked as well.h
To fit with the more intimate feel of “Idol,†the marketing for the 2009 model of the show will be more down-to-earth, although Mr. Earley said the network will be spending a little bit more than it did last year.
“Last year, we had contestants reaching a level of perceived stardom much earlier, both in the show and in our marketing campaign,†Mr. Earley said. “We made them look great; the concept was that they had arrived. But looking back, we think that maybe it was too soon to have them arrive. This year, we wanted to make sure we started out with real people.â€
Gone, then, are the images of Godzilla-sized generic “Idol†contestants Fox used last year to push the idea that the show created overnight celebrities. Instead, look for print ads that speak to the notion that the next “American Idol†could be anyone—a waitress, a cowboy, a single mom.
…or a member of a famous musical family or former Miss New York USA.?
“We’re putting our models (in the print campaign) in the real world,†Mr. Earley said. “The hope is to convey that within all these everyday people there is an ‘Idol.’ It takes it to a more relatable place.â€
Last year’s ads were accompanied by the tagline “Dream Big,†a phrase that played off the outsized show. The motto for “Idol†this season is the more grassroots-themed “Share Your Voice.â€
TPTB can “market” all they want, but I think the biggest boost for rating this coming season will be the success of their Top 2. When the Davids are all over the charts in the coming months, people are going to want to tune in.
Dressing up the same ole same ole in a shiny, new package, maybe not so much…
LOL It’s the same every year…
There we go… another season hearing the “this is the best talent yet”…
LOL This coming after yesterday’s discussion about the Osmand guy…
WIth this I agree…
MJ, I agree with your last paragraph very much. Not to be overly cynical, but this sounds all very familiar to me. I’ve watched every season but season 2. I think after seven years the Idol formula is pretty much in place and the public knows the game. Those that want to watch will tune in and those weary of it won’t. It’s just like any other tv series. It’s not like there are any groups of viewers out there left to woo. Everyone knows idol and everyone has watched it by now. You either like it, or you don’t. I just think the ratings have kind of leveled off the past couple years. When you put Idol’s ratings in context, it still performs amazingly well for a seven year old series.
Sounds like it would have been a much better year for Kyle Ensley and Josiah ( and yeah, I know he’s doing fine…)
Can’t complain about the “polish” of last year though because it put Michael Johns on the map.
Look for the sob stories this year in a big way.
…or a bartender.
Blah blah blah, none of this addresses changes many of us have voiced and that I personally want to see. 1. Less of the cruel freak show of the auditions and more Hollywood Week. 2. Half hour results shows, not one filler-minute more. 3. More behind the scenes on the song selection process, arranging and rehearsal/coaching. I don’t care about their personalities and emotional breakdowns. Frankly, I think that’s just going to put more pressure on the Idols, to have all their baggage and laundry on display, and be way more “reality” tv-ish than I am interested in.
They’re going to have to work hard to woo me this year. My feeling is that after seven seasons I finally have “my” Idol and that I might not need to watch any more. So far, nothing that has come out about alleged changes convinces me that I need to watch yet another season of Idol.
Truthfully tinkering with this old gal ain’t gonna gussy it up but so much. I mean she’s a bit long in the tooth. I don’t forsee a great dip in ratings, but I don’t expect a surge either.
Having the Davids as examples is a good thing to see the possibilities of American Idol.
I would campaign for less pimping and using TMZ as their gossip venue of choice. I would ask for less lame auditions and more Hollywood week.
I would ask for Paula to be a bit more lucid, Simon less bitchy, and for Randy to get a thesaurus, but that would be asking too much I am sure.
Anyway. I will be there, as I have been since season one. I like cheese. Some years it’s brie, other years it feta, or just plain ole american. Let see what this year will be.
Well, I get that they have to try to revamp and retool. That’s just business. That’s just tv. But part of what bothers me with this yearly refrain of “this is the most talented group ever” is last year’s talent was FINE. Other seasons have had great talent, too. I thought S7 was pretty stellar, especially the top 8 or 9. This is the tone of the show I have grown weary with. Well, last year is done. That group just didn’t live up to it. We’re done with them. And so begins the next cycle of selling people for 5 to 10 months and then hitting the discard button. Granted, I know this isn’t unique to Idol. The entertainment business is always about the next star. But I’m starting to find it all nauseating.
And, for me anyway, the judges have become like the annoying relatives I can’t stand anymore.
Still not excited…..
C’mon, AI!
I’d like more unique talent this year, actually. Less of the divas, less of the runs, less of the good-singing-of-a-tired-song. I need more originality. That’s what made (some of) Season 7’s group stand out for me.
Who cares about Season 5? How can they top last season. I agree that it was pretty darn good, two or three contestants aside.
I dont want just a half hour result show, I wait all year for Idol and the longer the better. I just hope that if it is an hour it is filled with the Idols and not just filler. It is not the length of the show but the content, even a half hour could be too long if it is filled with nonsense. So, bring on an hour or two just fill it up with interesting material
My sentiments exactly. I don’t care to watch the auditions because of the freak shows. I want to be able to gauge the talent and then root for my pick to make it through Hollywood Week to the Top 24. Enough of the freak show.
To summarize the article in one sentence:
Simon Cowell has taken over; therefore, SOB STORIES GALORE!!!!!
Don’t get me wrong, I dont think simon taking over is a bad thing ( i think he has done an unbelievable job with x-factor) but my one criticism of cowell is that he loves a good sob story. me, not so much. fuck the untalented crybabies.
so no kelly clarkson’s or carrie underrwood’s`, huh? gotcha!
I think one of the things that will help AI’s ratings the most this year unfortunately, is the downturn in the economy. AI will be like an old friend and an inexpensive one to indulge in. There are a number of past idols coming out with cds during the first half of next year and that will only serve to remind people of the kids they enjoyed on the show. I don’t expect a huge surge in ratings but I don’t really expect the kind of erosion they had last year either.
i don’t know about the whole “more real” thing…
from the spoilers list, the top contenders have a lot of background like having previous deals that were withing the last year/two years
idk, with simon part running the show makes me even more weary about the show’s integrity and commitment of preserving its original purpose:
finding the best singer in America.
If there is a three-year cycle, this season will be good. And I totally believe there is LOL.
They need to honor their history by allowing more past contestants to come on the show to perform, and not just the past winners or people like Daughtry or Elliott. Just think of all the past contestants who would love to come back and show how far they’ve come since AI.