The Brilliant Fake Reality TV Show Campaign from Thirteen

By Nathan Young on July 17, 2013

These days, more and more channels are featuring cheaply made reality TV shows. I mean, I like some reality shows, but I do feel like TV could use some more comedies, dramas, and family shows. Now, PBS affiliate Thirteen out of New York City has released some hilarious trailers for some fake reality shows. At first, you think that these shows are real, but you soon realize that these fake reality TV shows are way over the top! Here’s the trailer for the fake TV show called Meet The Tanners.

Here’s the trailer for the fake TV show Clam Kings.

Here’s the trailer for the fake TV show Long Island Landscapers.

This campaign from Thirteen is called TV Gone Wrong, and it’s pretty simple! This brilliant campaign is telling people to stop and realize the current state of television and support quality programming on public television like Thirteen and PBS. In May, the station ran subway ads for such fake shows like Bad Bad Bag Boys, Knitting Wars, Bayou Eskimos, Married to a Mime, and The Dillionaire in and around the New York City area. Yes, this drew lots of reaction!

Each ad is created by the agency CHI & Partners and it contains the message, “The fact that you thought this was a real show says a lot about the state of TV.” Each ad also includes a link to donate as well. I think this advertising campaign is brilliant! There are way too much junk reality TV shows and I believe there needs to be a reduction of these junk reality shows on TV. Thirteen wants people to support quality programming, and this advertising campaign is perfect!

Learn more about this campaign from Thirteen at: http://www.thirteen.org/tvgonewrong

Also use the hashtag #TVGONEWRONG