If you’re plugged into the whole Slap-My-Facebook thing, you know how addictive it can be. Between all the movie quizzes and the Scrabolicious and just inappropriate friend poking, well, it is a virtual high school without classes or cooties.
It is also a powerful marketing tool. Even I get that–I saw it as another way to flag my book and this blog. The folks over at Alliance Atlantis see it as a way to promote Damages.
That’s the new FX Thriller starring Glenn Close, premiering Feb. 18 at 10 p.m. on Showcase. I was on the set last fall at the cavernous Steiner Studios down in Brooklyn, N.Y., with a few other “international” critics.
It’s a great series, with Golden Globe-winner Close in top form as a ruthless DA bent on bringing down a despicable business tycoon, a real Enron-level weasel, played to the hilt by an energized Ted Danson. You can read the Canadian Press feature I filed on him this week here; I’ve also got a cover story on Close in the next issue of Bell TV’s SHOW magazine.
The Facebook tease is intriguing because it is tailored to fit right in with the social website’s bag of time wasting goodies, yet it also taps into the don’t-take-this-too-seriously vibe of the series. If you like our little quiz, you’ll like our new thriller. Smart.
Billed as the Ultimate Evil Meter Quiz (you can jump to it here), the Facebook link asks five questions to determine your level of nastiness. Stuff like, if some slick new social climber was stealing your thunder at work, would you a) sprinkle poison on his sushi, b) slip him a laxative before the big meeting, that kind of thing. I was declared a “Deranged Individual” at the end of the test, so beat that.
Of course, up pops a little video ad for Damages at the end. You can also get tricked into sending this to your entire community of “friends,” but that’s the whole point, isn’t it? Still, if this is the future of series promotion, it’s more fun than evil and a smart little blueprint. I’m guessing more Facebook TV teasers are on the way.
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