Logo, “the entertainment network for savvy and trendsetting adult viewers from Viacom Inc.,” has had some big social TV successes with it’s highest rated show, RuPaul’s Drag Race. For the fourth season of the “ultimate drag queen” reality show, the network has developed a multi-legged social media blitz to compliment the linear launch. “Highlights include a fantasy football-like game on Facebook, live Tweeting with cast members (past and present) during show premieres, Tweets from fans displayed on TV during show premieres, and live animating GIFs on Tumblr,” according to the network.
In addition to the fantasy game and their announcement to post the first ten minutes of each episode before it airs on Facebook (where they’ve seen a 94% increase in likes from where they started at the season 3 premiere) they’re cleverly using Tumblr to engage their viewers. We asked our readers in September if it was time to take Tumblr seriously and Dan Sacher, Vice President of Digital for VH1 and Logo explains why his network is. “Tumblr brings an added dimension to our show content — whether it’s outrageous commentary, over-the-top animations or mash-ups with Internet memes,” Sacher told Lost Remote. “It’s a great playground for our superfans to gather to celebrate our shows and share unique content with their friends,” he added. To engage viewers using Tumblr in real-time, they strategized with live animated-.GIFing (here’s one) during premiere episodes on Logo’s Tumblr.
Animated .GIFing as a social TV strategy is something that’s perfect for both making you laugh while encourage you to share. While Tumblr is definitely in for a big 2012 brands are still struggling to find the right groove since as Sacher described, it’s a playground and the playground can often get messy. GetGlue smartly integrated with Tumblr in 2011 and accounts like The New Yorker‘s have been able to build a huge audience by translating the quirkiness of their content to the quirkiness of Tumblr. What’s your favorite brand Tumblr?