Hoarders
A&E premiered its new season of the television show Hoarders on Sunday night. If you are not familiar with the show, it's part of an entire line up of programming that features real people dealing with different aspects of mental illness.
The first and most successful of the lineup was Intervention. It's about addiction and showcases people who have hit rock bottom with their family members stepping in to get them some much needed help. Then came Obsessed, The Cleaner, and Hoarders.
Hoarders is about people who feel the need to stock pile and keep every item they've ever owned in their house. Newspapers, magazines, toys, furniture, food wrappers, dishes, clothing -- everything just piles up around them as they are completely unable to part with anything in their lives. Specialists come in and try to help clean up the house and provide follow-up counseling.
I have to say that the show is very difficult to watch. These people really struggle with this affliction. There is a true feeling of hopelessness, as the state of their house just gets worse and worse all the way to the point of being dangerous. And in some cases illegal.
Throughout the show, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? is omni-present for the clean up. The logo, trucks, and clean up crew are everywhere. It's very clear that the brand is a sponsor of the show, and for good reason because they are providing a valuable service to people trying to clean up their homes and their lives. It's an interesting marketing "partnership" in that the brand is raising awareness for their service by literally putting it right in the middle of the action. It's tastefully done, but clearly well messaged and targeted.
Shows like Hoarders and Intervention (and others like it), give us all a look into other people's lives, allowing us to witness their personal struggles and in some cases their resultant triumphs. As marketers, it's really important to understand how all sorts of people live their lives, and how they cope with their obstacles. And it's also important to show how our brands, like 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, can help.
What's your experience? Jim.