Two TV stations in Salt Lake City and Minneapolis created their versions of Happy Holiday promos. One might move you to tears and the other might move you to download their app.
I’ve been sharing local TV stations’ Happy Holiday promos on my Market Share column since 2014, when the column first started. Over the years, I’ve shared dozens of them from markets all over the country.
I know how difficult it can be to create Happy Holiday promos, given your workload.
But if you’ve gone that far and produced one or two, send them my way and I’ll share your work with the local TV community around the country. I’m at 817-578-6324 or [email protected].
One of the many challenges in creating local TV station Happy Holiday promos is getting your on-air news talent in the spot, if that’s your mission. Depending on the concept, it can add a bit of production.
And being original and authentic in these holiday promos, especially if the on-air talent drive the spot, is a challenge.
Darcy Stapleford, the promotions manager at KSTU, Scripps Fox affiliate in Salt Lake City, came up with an idea that was simple, and she executed it so well.
Stapleford says the last few years, even with lots of other projects, it’s been her responsibility to do the holiday spots. Of course, the option is always there to take the talent out to a festive location and shoot them there, she says.
But she was hoping to capture the ‘joy’ of the holidays and it’s not always the same for everyone when you have a very diverse group of on-air talent.
“So I just put an e-mail out there to the on air staff and I asked them to go through their phone and find something that had meaning for them through the year and I said it does not need to be holiday related, just find a moment where you were actually really happy,” she says.
Of course, music is key to most holiday promos and Stapleford says she had remembered a track she had come across a few years ago from Megatrax and it struck a chord.
“It has a variation of feeling,” she says. “Some of it feels a little bit sad, but some of it feels introspective and some of it feels hopeful and so I thought it had the right mix of feelings in it. I needed something that would tie everything together.”
Stapleford says when she showed it to her boss, she cried.
Here’s a holiday promo from KMSP, the Fox-owned affiliate in Minneapolis.
This promo proves that you can celebrate the holidays with a snappy, well-known tune, and do a little branding as well.
David Pint, KMSP’s creative services manager, says he loves musical parodies, and the holiday season is the perfect time to do just that.
The mission for the creative department was to educate audiences while building awareness for FOX LOCAL, the free streaming app. With FOX LOCAL, you can stream local news, local shows, and exclusive content wherever you are.
“We wanted to have some seasonal fun with the messaging about FOX LOCAL,” says Burke Daneman, KMSP’s VP of creative services.
The idea features a choir singing a peppy version of “Carol of the Bells.”
“The Apple Valley High School Choir not only responded in record time but rolled out the red carpet for us,” Pint says.
“From recording sessions to production, these high school stars blew us away with their preparation and stage performance,” Daneman says.
The maestro of the choir was none other than Ian Leonard, the KMSP FOX 9’s chief meteorologist.
“I told him, be yourself, and that was the only direction he needed,” Pint says. “He really knows how to bring the energy”
“It’s been a whirlwind of creativity and holiday spirit,” Daneman says. “I’m very happy and excited to share the work of an outstanding creative team while showcasing local musical talent.”
NOTE: ‘Tis the season of sharing, so let’s share those local TV holiday promos by sending me the YouTube link to your station’s Happy Holiday promos. And don’t be shy with the thinking behind it or the behind-the-scenes of its creative and production. Got a question or want to talk or brainstorm? I’m at 817-578-6324 or [email protected].
And I’d like to wish everybody here a joyous and safe H
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