‘Monk’ fans pour hearts out in texts

 

 

The USA network gave fans the chance to say their personal goodbyes to detective Adrian Monk when the series made its final curtain call.

One week before the series finale of “Monk” on USA, the network ran a six-hour viewers’ choice marathon. A rolling ticker appeared at the bottom of the screen, scrolling text messages sent by “Monk” fans bidding the show farewell.

More than 25,000 fans sent 33,000 texts; most texts came in after 5 p.m., following the scroll launch. Texting was free but standard carrier rates applied.

Most people wrote goodbye notes to their favorite OCD-plagued detective: “From one OCD to another, thank you, you make me feel quite normal,” one typed. Others even proposed marriage.

USA Network’s in-house digital and mobile team created the campaign and concept, which allowed viewers to say goodbye to Adrian Monk. The campaign was of minimal cost to USA and drove traffic to the “Monk” Web site, making it the third-most-visited TV site the week following the marathon, according to Hitwise.

Meanwhile, the floating ad that sticks with you wherever you go on a Web page is coming to the mobile Internet. That’s likely to be welcome news to publishers and advertisers — but not so much to users who are already annoyed by banners crowding the small mobile screen.

Crisp Wireless has introduced a fixed placement unit for smart phones that stays onscreen as a user scrolls up or down. The new “Adhesion” ads support rich media formats like expandable, tap-to-call and tap-to-video, as well as the ability to share, close or save ad content via e-mail or social networks.

– Mediapost’s Amy Corr writes a weekly column for Metro looking at some of the best advertising and marketing campaigns. See more of her work at www.mediapost.com.