TV Show, Shameless, launched the ‘Walk of Shameless’ endurance competition to raise money
for charity and to promote their second season television series. Each of the six teams
in the competition walked 12 hours on a treadmill for their charity of choice, promoting
their own team and charity behind the window display at which the event was held.
Every minute walked, earned each team a dollar.
Additional points were earned from collected text messages and Tweets that were
designated for each team (i.e. #teamcarl, #teamfrank, etc), in which the total number
of texts and Tweets distinguished the winner of the competition. The live showcase
of the competition behind a window display made the viewing experience much like
‘reality television’ elevated to the next level. People passing by on the streets had
a direct impact on the progress of the teams through texts and Tweets,
which helped promote the TV show gain traction in the online world through
a charitable initiative that successfully manifested itself in the physical world.
By utilizing social tools as a unit of measure, Shameless was able to connect
the public to a charitable cause; nonetheless, a win-win situation.
