To challenge the notion that public radio is a relic from another time, a campaign for KCRW “flies the weird flag of Los Angeles” and departs from the bone-dry advertising that’s common in the category.
The target is younger listeners who increasingly turn to Spotify and other platforms for news, talk and entertainment programming. And the message, in short: this isn’t your granddad’s station.
“Get LA’D,” the first work from indie agency Party Land, goes for quirky over somber in its tone, intending to capture the creativity and culture of L.A. The brand chose the creative shop without a formal pitch, based on Party Land’s track record with Liquid Death, Dave’s Hot Chicken, eharmony and other past and current clients on its roster.
The work launches in tandem with a new podcast slate at the station, with shows that include “How’s Your Sex Life?” and “The Anti-Dread Climate Podcast,” along with stalwarts such as “Left, Right & Center” and “Good Food.”
Using a conversational approach, the ads intend to draw in millennials and Gen Z with taglines like “Realizing that, no, you should not text them back helps you get LA’D” and “Becoming climate hopeful instead of climate helpless helps you Get LA’D.”
“Get LA’D” spans print, digital, social and out of home ads, and future phases will focus on the brand’s music offerings.