SundanceTV today announced a new localized television advertising campaign starring "Weird Al" Yankovic that will launch on a number of major cable, satellite and telco TV providers starting Thursday, February 18.
To support and drive awareness of SundanceTV as a destination for original programming on Wednesday nights, the network commissioned Weird Al to develop an original jingle and star in a custom video featuring operator-specific channel numbers. The song, written and performed by Yankovic, underscores the depth and breadth of the network's programming and helps viewers find the channel and never ever forget its location.
"In advance of SundanceTV's newest original series 'Hap and Leonard', we set out to craft a fun and effective ear-worm to help viewers find and remember our channel position on their TV service, and Weird Al was the perfect creative accomplice," said Charlie Collier, president,
AMC and SundanceTV. "Please watch and listen to Al's original song, put our three-digit (or sometimes four-digit) channel number on your forehead, as he recommends, and settle in with SundanceTV for entertainment we promise is worthy of being found!"
Yankovic's lyrics include the suggestion that viewers carve their specific SundanceTV channel number on their foreheads, which the network does not actually advocate, and the notion that the SundanceTV channel position is the "new favorite number" for viewers, which the network does support.
The spot launches in advance of the network's newest original series, "Hap and Leonard," which is set to premiere Wednesday, March 2 at 10/9c.
Set in the late 1980s, "Hap and Leonard," featuring James Purefoy ("Rome," "The Following"), Michael Kenneth Williams ("The Wire," "Boardwalk Empire") and Christina Hendricks ("Mad Men") is a darkly comic swamp noir story of two best friends, one femme fatale, a crew of washed-up revolutionaries, a pair of murderous psycho-killers, some lost loot and the fuzz.
Based on the novels by Joe Lansdale, the six-hour series event was developed by director/writer Jim Mickle (Cold in July, We Are What We Are and Stakeland) and writer Nick Damici (Cold in July, We Are What We Are and Stakeland). The project is executive produced by Jim Mickle, Nick Damici, Jeremy Platt and Nick Shumaker, along with co-executive producers Joe Lansdale, Linda Moran and Lowell Northrop. This project marks Mickle's and Damici's second major collaboration with Lansdale, as the pair previously collaborated on the film adaptation of Lansdale's novel Cold in July, which was selected to premiere at the 2014
Sundance Film Festival. Additional "Hap and Leonard" cast members include Jimmi Simpson ("House of Cards"), Bill Sage (American Psycho), Pollyanna McIntosh, Neil Sandilands and Jeff Pope.
About SundanceTV Since its launch in 1996, SundanceTV has remained true to founder Robert Redford's mission to celebrate creativity and distinctive storytelling through unique voices and narratives found in the best independent films. From delivering critically acclaimed Emmy(R), Golden Globe(R) and Peabody Award-winning television featuring some of the world's most talented creators and performers, to showcasing some of the most compelling and iconic films across genres and generations, SundanceTV is a smart and thought-provoking entertainment destination. SundanceTV is owned and operated by
AMC Networks Inc.; its sister networks include AMC, IFC,
BBC America and WE tv. SundanceTV is available across all platforms, including on-air, online at www.sundance.tv, on demand and mobile.
About "Weird Al" Yankovic "Weird Al" Yankovic is the biggest-selling comedy recording artist in history. His last album release, Mandatory Fun (2014), was the first comedy album in history to debut #1 on the Billboard charts and earned him his fourth Grammy(R) award. His Mandatory World Tour took him to over 100 cities across the globe in 2015 and will visit over 75 more this year, including two nights at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. He voices the title role in the upcoming Disney animated series Milo Murphy's Law and is the co-host and band leader for the fifth season of IFC's "Comedy Bang Bang!"
Image courtesy of SundanceTV
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