Say what you will about how Fox has handled Fringe, but there is no doubt that they have gone above and beyond to promote the show – particularly with regards to the move to Friday nights. There are several other shows I watch that have been moved to new nights, and the notice for the move came only days before the show began airing at its new time. Contrast that with Fox, who announced the move months in advance, and began a heavy push to make fans aware of the switch in the month leading up to the first “Fringe Friday”, on January 21.
It’s fairly common practice for networks to send out promotional packages to members of the press to build buzz around the show. Fox took it one further. In a move spearheaded by a Fox publicist named Eric, Fox decided to include fans in Fringe mail-outs for the first time. Eric had a list put together of U.S.-based Fringe fans who would be willing –without knowing what it was for – to provide their mailing address. These fans, numbering about 40, then received, between January 20 and 21, a package from Fox advertising the move to Friday. In the package: a 4-pound tub of Red Vines, along with a letter informing them that Fringe was moving to a new night. (In case you’re not aware, Red Vines hold significance in Fringe as Walter is often eating them in the lab).
From this same mailing list, Fox recently did another promotional push for the show: the same group of fans who received the Red Vines in January, yesterday and today, received a package containing: a script, signed by Anna Torv and Jasika Nicole, for the episode “Olivia”; a Fringe night-light; a green Fringe squishy ball (that sticks to the walls if you throw it, it’s really quite fun); and another letter. This letter is a reminder of tonight’s new – and final – episode of the third season, “The Day We Died”.
So whether or not you received a package – and the mail-out was limited to U.S. fans only because of the legal issues surrounding where networks can run promotional campaigns – show Fox that they were right to give us an early renewal of Fringe, and make sure you tune in live tonight!
way to go fox! so cool!
So jealous.
Fringe rocks!
I envy those guys who got those mails!!!!! Too bad, the package is exclusively mailed in US only