If you even glanced at the Internet this weekend, you may have noticed a lot of people watching The Simpsons.
Last Thursday, FXX kicked off a full marathon of all 25 seasons of The Simpsons, in order, nonstop. Some 45-year-old man somewhere has not slept in four nights.
The marathon drew in about 1 million viewers on Thursday and was ranked number one in primetime viewing among males 18-34, overall, according to Deadline.
But it wasn’t just a television binge; it was a social media Simpsons love fest. The network created the hashtag #EverySimpsonsEver and a Twitter account that tweets out the schedule in four-hour blocks, lest anyone miss an installment of ‘Treehouse of Horror.’
It was almost no fun to watch without following @EverySimpsonsEver for updates, Simpsons quotes, teasers to win prizes, and replies to fans. Respect to whoever’s managing the account, because they were relentless in their quest to engage.They even let True Blood finale and VMA viewers off the hook.
@MrEricVera @TrueBloodHBO It’s OK. We’ll welcome you back with open arms. Thanks for watching #EverySimpsonsEver !
— Every.Simpsons.Ever (@EverySimpsons) August 25, 2014
And if that weren’t enough, there was the #SimpsonsSelfies, where FXX asked fans to tweet pictures of themselves. Watching The Simpsons on a sunny weekend afternoon. It’s so stupidly genius, even Homer could have come up with it.
#EverySimpsonsEver marathon only reinforces that I would watch an entire Simpsons channel. (Currently watching a DVRed “Stark Raving Dad”)
— Chris Harnick (@chrisharnick) August 23, 2014
Of course, same day numbers mean nothing anymore, but who cares about that? One million people now actually know that FXX exists just when prime television viewing season starts. It’s the bright side to back-to-school season. It’s also evidence that good content and social media strategy can work wonders. How long until the #EveryMelroseEver marathon?