ABC Family Going Retail to Promote Greek

Cable Network Teams Up with Teen-Clothing Retailer Aéropostale

By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/17/2008 4:32:00 PM

ABC Family is teaming up with teen-clothing retailer Aéropostale to promote Greek.

The promotion, a first for the network, will see DVDs of the first season of the show available at Aéropostale in-store and online. In addition, customers will receive Greek-branded T-shirts with $50 purchases. The network is also holding a contest, with one winner getting a walk-on role on the show.

“We’ve known for a while that the right retail partner would really enhance our marketing efforts for Greek -- both the DVD and series,” ABC Family senior vice president of brand marketing John Rood said in announcing the deal. “And it’s been thrilling to find Aéropostale, who are proactive, innovative, genuinely smart and a great millennial brand.”

Aéropostale will promote the DVD and shirts with signage in windows, as well as bag-stuffers and cash-wrap.

For its part, ABC Family will purchase an advertisement promoting the partnership in the April issue of Teen Vogue, as well as on its own Greek site, Virtual Rush, and on social-networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace.

Greek is ABC Family’s No. 1 show with 18- to 34-year-olds, a part of the millennial generation the network has been eager to reach.

Aéropostale, as an established brand with teen-aged and young-adult consumers, could be an efficient way to reach more potential viewers of the show.