PBS Confronts Cable Challenge

‘Stay Curious’ Spots From Fallon Are Effort to Shed ‘Elitist’ Image
CHICAGO–The Public Broadcasting Service wants to shed a perception that it is “elitist” with the help of a whimsical campaign from Fallon Minneapolis, a network representative said.
The ad approach resulted from research showing that the Alexandria, Va., broadcaster was perceived as more inaccessible than many competing cable channels, said Tom Epstein, vice president of communications for PBS.
“While people had a great deal of respect [for PBS], there was a perception that we were a little elitist,” he said.
Television spots directed by documentarian Errol Morris take a lighthearted approach to depicting people’s quest for knowledge, said Bruce Bildsten, a group creative director at the agency.
“We show people satisfying their curiosity in a really creative way,” he said.