AMC Brings Zombies to a Cable Dispute
This week’s viral ad requires a little bit of back story. Earlier this summer, DISH Network, a major satellite TV provider, dropped AMC, the station responsible for hit zombie series The Walking Dead. It’s part of an ongoing dispute between the two that’s growing tense as AMC’s fall season draws closer.
AMC believes the public will be on its side in the dispute, but the tricky part is getting the word out. Enter YouTube, and a very well-executed, universally loved ad. Called Zombie Experiment NYC, the ad purports to show an experiment: what would happen if people made up to look like very convincing zombies were unleashed in the city?
It’s a great watch. The zombies are expertly done up, the reactions are natural and often funny. And viewers who sit through its entire length are given the pitch: get zombies off the street, put them back on TV. And go to www.PutZombiesBack.com to support the campaign. In this case, the call to action is mutually beneficial. AMC gets to share its story, and viewers get to find a cable provider that will air their favorite shows. Everyone wins—except DISH.
