'House of Cards': Season four and the show's unusual marketing strategy
A new season of 'Cards,' which stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, debuts on March 4. An unusual marketing campaign has meant 'Cards' is being promoted through an event at the National Portrait Gallery and ads during real political debates.
'House of Cards' actor Kevin Spacey stands beside a portrait of his character President Frank J. Underwood on the day of its unveiling at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
The Netflix drama 鈥淗ouse of Cards鈥� returns on March 4 for a fourth season and the promotion for the TV show is blurring the lines between the real world and the fictional political universe of the show.聽
Most recently, actor Kevin Spacey, who portrays 鈥淐ards鈥� protagonist Frank Underwood, attended an event at the National Portrait Gallery, where a painting depicting Frank was revealed. The art piece is only there temporarily.聽
Mr. Spacey played his character, speaking in Frank鈥檚 trademark Southern accent and appearing with people who were presumably supposed to be Frank鈥檚 Secret Service agents.聽
Attendees included Valerie Jarrett, adviser to President Obama; Tina Tchen, chief of staff to Michelle Obama; and Lloyd Hand, who was former president Lyndon B. Johnson鈥檚 chief of protocol.聽
The event continues Netflix鈥檚 promotional strategy of inserting the fictional politician into the real world of Washington.聽
This plan was previously seen during a CNN debate between Republican presidential hopefuls in December, in which a commercial for 鈥淐ards鈥� aired that was made as if it was a real campaign ad for Frank.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 a new day in America,鈥� an unseen narrator said during the ad. 鈥淭oday, more people will go to work, return home to their families, and sleep more soundly than ever before.鈥澛�
Spacey didn鈥檛 appear until the end of the ad, when he told the camera, 鈥淎merica, I鈥檓 only getting started.鈥�
The recent event at the National Portrait Gallery and the portrait itself has struck some as unusual, with writing of the artwork, 鈥淸It] will be displayed 鈥� not a joke 鈥� in the Smithsonian Institute鈥檚 National Portrait Gallery鈥� and writing, 鈥淥kay, we all know that Frank Underwood isn鈥檛 actually the commander in chief, right?... 聽A reality check may聽have been needed Monday night [when the event was held].鈥�
It鈥檚 all part of the strategy to get viewers thinking about 鈥淐ards.鈥� In this golden age of television, there is a huge amount of not only TV shows, but well-reviewed, acclaimed television. Those working on TV shows are trying to be heard above the noise.
It鈥檚 been a requirement for some time. 鈥淚t's not enough to promote a new show during an older one,鈥� wrote in 2013. 鈥淎udiences are splintered, rely on social recommendations, don't watch as much live, and often binge-watch full seasons in a single sitting, so marketing needs to be more collaborative and planned.鈥�
Fox鈥檚 鈥淓mpire,鈥� which launched in January 2015, was praised for its marketing campaign. noted how those behind 鈥淓mpire鈥� had aimed certain aspects of the show at certain audiences.
鈥淭hey played up the family drama and the music aspects, and they targeted the African-American and LGBT communities (one of the main characters is a gay singer), along with the fashion world,鈥� Mr. Lynch wrote of marketing staff.
Another strategy? Don鈥檛 stop after the series premiere. Joe Earley, Fox鈥檚 chief operating officer, told Adweek, 鈥淲e increased our spend for week two [after seeing premiere ratings]... We all absolutely, 100 percent believed [ratings for the second episode] would go down 20 percent because that's what new shows do.鈥� Instead, ratings increased.