NBC
Partners With House Party to Promote The Biggest Loser Season Premiere
9/8/05
NBC OPENS THE DOOR FOR A COAST-TO-COAST 'HOUSE PARTY' TO PROMOTE
SPECIAL 90-MINUTE SEASON PREMIERE OF 'THE BIGGEST LOSER' SEPTEMBER 13
Unique Sneak-Peek Campaign Aims to Outfit 1,000 Hosts with a Customized
Premiere Episode, "Party Kits" and Web Destination to Welcome
Guests and Turn Weight-loss Series Debut into Nationwide Event
BURBANK - September 8, 2005 - NBC's weight-loss series "The Bigger
Loser" is throwing a national "House Party" this Saturday
across 1,000 homes in cities around the country to pump up its special
90-minute second-season premiere on September 13 (8-9:30 p.m. ET).
"The Biggest Loser House Party" campaign has recruited 1,000
of the most qualified hosts across the country to welcome a suggested
number of 10 guests each to an exclusive celebration at their home on
Saturday, September 10 armed with promotional materials from NBC. House
Party, Inc. (www.houseparty.com), a Web-based media company, is the
people-powered media channel for launching new entertainment releases at
home and on the Internet. House Parties 'eventize' a program's premiere
before it airs, putting the show into the hands of thousands of its most
influential consumers, feeding enthusiasm for the show and equipping the
fans to spread waves of online excitement to millions of others. House
Party has designed and will execute the effort for NBC. For its part, NBC
provided marketing databases and used on-air and online promotion
throughout nbc.com to recruit the 1,000 hosts.
"As we approach the second season debut, we want to create a
ground-swell of excitement and anticipation among the core fans who have
been inspired and helped by this special series," said Sharon
Merle-Lieberman, Director of Strategic Partnerships, The NBC Agency.
"Combined with our partners, House Party, Inc., we are creating a
truly "people powered" event that can draw thousands of
participants and develop new fans as we reach out to a larger grassroots
audience. We hope these multiple get-togethers will generate many more
fans by word-of-mouth."
For the parties, NBC will furnish a customized copy of the first
episode in advance - one that does not compromise the ending elimination -
but will compensate with a special opening and closing message by Jillian
Michaels and Bob Harper, the respective hosts and trainers of the rival
Red and Blue teams. New contestants profiles and remarks from Kelly Minner
and Ryan C. Benson from the first season will also be included in the
special first episode.
In addition, a tutorial from House Party provided online at www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser/houseparty
- will offer suggestions to ambitious hosts on how to throw a great
screening party. "The Biggest Loser House Party" site will
supply all the tools necessary to send out printable and electronic
invitations, post and share photos and video, set up a blog and send
reminder e-mails. NBC will also send the hosts accompanying "party
kits" that include such "swag" as a show-branded yoga mat,
towel and dry erase board, a jump rope and a set of yoga straps. Attendees
will receive copies of Prevention, Men's Health and Women's Health
magazines plus trial memberships for 24 Hour Fitness gyms (where
applicable).
To add to the excitement, trainers Bob and Jillian, and former
contestants will make special appearances at some of the parties.
Some of the cities currently scheduled to hold "Biggest Loser
House Parties" include: Los Angeles, CA, San Diego, CA, San Jose, CA,
Boston, MA, Dallas, TX, Philadelphia, PA, Columbus, OH, Providence, RI,
Chicago, IL, New York, NY, Raleigh, NC, Washington, DC, Las Vegas, NV,
Hartford, CT, Birmingham, AL and Nashville, TN.
The first reality series in which everybody "loses,"
"The Biggest Loser" offers severely overweight participants the
opportunity to undergo a radical physical makeover without any kind of
surgery. Caroline Rhea ("Sabrina, the Teenage Witch") returns to
host the second season of the series that challenges and encourages
overweight contestants as they compete for a grand prize of $250,000 in a
safe and recommended manner through comprehensive diet and exercise.
"The Biggest Loser" provides the 14 strong-willed yet hopeful
contestants with challenges, temptations, weigh-ins and eliminations until
the final contestant remains to claim the title of "the biggest
loser." Each team works out under the supervision of professional
trainers Michaels and Harper.
"The Biggest Loser" is a production of Reveille LLC, 25/7
Productions, 3 Ball Productions and NBC Universal Television Studio. Ben
Silverman (NBC's "The Office," "The Restaurant"), Dave
Broome ("Jingle Ball Rock"), JD Roth ("For Love or
Money," "Endurance"), John Foy ("For Love or
Money," "Endurance") and Todd A. Nelson ("For Love or
Money," "Endurance") are the executive producers.