Back to Work: Viral Marketing in The Office

Like many, I am a huge fan of NBC’s The Office.  Season six of the award winning comedy begins September 17th, and I thought it would be helpful to highlight some of the viral goodies on display for fans that need a fix before the premiere…

More than any other show, The Office gives its audience a variety of content in the weeks between episodes.  I applaud the folks at NBC for their creativity.  They consistently post deleted scenes, webisodes, and addicting games.  More impressive though is the array of viral pages they maintain to keep fans’ minds in Scranton, PA.   Here’s just a sampling of what’s out there:

Websites

Fans can go to the official Dunder Mifflin Paper Company website and experience a realistic taste of the infamous Scranton Branch.  There’s not a whole lot there in the way of content, but I would recommended reading the periodic newsletter that lets fans know what the employees have been up to.  The latest issue gives lists Michael’s “Renaissance Men” and Kelly’s thoughts on the New Moon trailer. It can be found here.

The more interactive site offered is Dunder Mifflin Infinity.  Fans will remember this from the start of season four after the company attempted to establish a presence online.  Similarly, NBC launched the site that allowed users to register as employees and were given access to content in return-primarily games and contests.  Although the push to embrace technology failed in the show, NBC has kept this site going.  Consequently, it’s emerged as a haven for fans anxious to create their own Dunder Mifflin content and interact with Office fanatics.

Finally, my favorite website yet is www.angelaandy.com.  Users quickly learn the wedding themed page is designed and maintained by Dunder Mifflin employee Andy Bernard.  Anxious to share details about his engagement with coworker Angela Martin, Andy explains the story behind their relationship and the details of their planned Thanksgiving Day wedding.  There is even a guestbook that allows visitors to leave notes for the couple (look for message s from Andy’s coworkers!).  Although the relationship fizzled and the wedding never materialized on screen, updates have continued in true “Nard Dog” fashion.

Blogs

Throughout the course of the show, fans of The Office have gradually been introduced to blogs from their favorite characters.  First, Dwight Schrute began his “Schrute Space” blog.  At the end of season three, Creed Bratton’s  “Creed Thoughts” became a reality, followed by Meredith Palmer’s “Sex and the Electric City.” These blogs serve  fans well because it allows them to enjoy memorable but minor characters from the show.  The entries are weird and at times inappropriate, but most importantly, are grounded in the reality of the show.  I don’t know who actually wrote them, but they have captured the characters voice and style without question.  I hope these sites continue to cover more Dunder  Mifflin characters.  Maybe a Darryl Philbin blog from the warehouse is next?

Twitter

The newest addition to the Office viral campaign are twitter pages for the show’s favorite feuding couple, Ryan Howard and Kelly Kapoor.  The two update fairly regularly, and their continual back and forth harken back to some of their classic moments on the show.  In addition, the two recently underwent a lengthy twitter conversation that NBC has posted on their main page.  Neither Ryan or Kelly are intellectually or emotionally deep, and I think the brevity and impulsive nature of tweets are absolutely perfect for these characters.  Follow them @iamkellyfierce and @veRY_Angelic.

So that’s just a taste of what is out there for all you Office fans.  As I said before, I think NBC has done a terrific job with providing lots of additional content to their fans.  It’s the best viral campaign for a television show I’ve seen yet, and I think it helps reinforce the unwaveringly loyal following the show has established.  What do you think?  For fans, do these virals get you more excited for the show?  Or do you have other opinions?  Let us know!