Every now and then a Social Media Marketing Promotion comes along that is brilliant. Channel 10 (Australia) has just produced such a Promotion. Â It involves a Television Show (Offspring), thousands of fans, an Episode they all want to see, and the Facebook Like Button.

When Facebook Promotions Meets Advanced Screening Access to one of the most Popular TV Shows in Australia: Like Like, Likety Like.
Want to know more? Â Oh and if you are an Offspring fan, you REALLY want to know more.
Yesterday I was working (yes working) on Facebook and I noticed a post on the Facebook Newsfeed that made me stop in my tracks. My friend and Top Blogger Nikki Parkinson from Styling You was apparently watching the first episode of my favourite series “Offspring” online. Â What the? Â Here I was, eagerly awaiting the start of the new series next week. Â Had I missed it? Â What the? What special powers did she have? Â I clicked on the link and there it was. Â Access to the First Episode. Â Oh Joy.
Here is how Channel 10 Australia struck gold with their online, viral, video promotion:
- Take a hugely popular series – Offspring (see below to meet the wonderfully quirky and dysfunctional Nina Proudman and her family if you live overseas and have not met them yet!). And don't get me started on the hunky Dr Patrick.
- Take thousands of fans waiting for the start of the new season.
- Place the first episode of the new season online and like-gate the access to it.  What does this mean? When Fans click on the link posted on the Offspring on Ten Facebook Page, they are asked to “like” the page in order to access the video.
- Access is granted to watch the first episode (and yes, it was a Hummdinger!).
- As soon as you start viewing, your activity is “shared”, with a post appearing on the Newsfeed announcing to all of your friends that you are watching it!
- Rinse.
- Repeat.
Here is how they promoted their little viral experiment:
Here is what appeared on my Newsfeed:
Note their clever use of language in the description: Â “exclusive content”, “first episode” and “before it airs”. Â And the post appears on the newsfeed as soon as you start watching (not when you are finished) so it all happens in real time. Â Very clever Channel 10.
And here is their Pinned Post on their Facebook Page (…great use of a Pinned Post by the way) announcing the Promotion:
Oh, and for those of you that can't wait to watch it, go to the Offspring on Ten Facebook Page to follow the instructions to the Link.
But Hurry – it won't be up for long!
Now if you are not Female, 30-something, Australian and totally in love with Offspring, click here for a synopsis about the show and why we all love Nina Proudman (and why we are in love with Patrick). Â To fill you in: Â Nina is a 30-something obstetrician with an excellent fashion sense, dysfunctional family, quirky work-colleagues, crazy love life and a tendency to drift off into irrational thoughts of fantasy!
Here is a taste if you want to meet Nina Proudman and see a sneak peek of the afore-mentioned episode:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W59xEbgnuaw&feature=related]
To Channel 10, I say: Brilliant. I am sure that your Facebook likes are skyrocketing right now as I write this.
Did you click Like and watch the Episode of Offspring? Â What did you think? Â Have you seen or participated in any other clever examples of viral Facebook promotions?
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Donna Moritz
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awesome work channel 10Â
Yes, it was awesome! I think even Channel 10 are pretty chuffed with their promotion app from the twitter conversation I have had with them. Very cool promotion!
That’s such a great case study of what I’m sure is a HUGELY successful viral campaign using FB. Thanks for the info, Donna! That’s really helpful!
Thanks Shelly – yes it was a big campaign for Channel 10 – I got feedback from them and they intend to do it more in the future as it was so successful!
and who doesn’t love Offspring….