Each year, CMT hosts its annual "Artists of the Year" event to honor the top country acts of the year. The 90-minute special is unique as the only awards show where music's biggest stars salute one another with once-in-a-lifetime performances, unexpected tributes, and unforgettable toasts while simultaneously celebrating the artists who dominated the last 12 months, ruling country radio, scoring chart-topping albums and singles, and selling out arenas across the U.S.
In 2017, the show aired on the heels of devastating hurricanes, horrific California wildfires and the tragic mass shooting at a country music festival in Las Vegas. Practically overnight, CMT rapidly transformed the must-watch event into a night of hope and healing through the power of music featuring honorees Chris Stapleton, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban and Luke Bryan. Rather than devote a segment or a solitary performance to these heartbreaking tragedies, CMT felt a commitment to focus the entire evening on uplifting our fans and showcase the power of unity and resilience through music.
Additionally, we set a goal to unite the music community and fans under our pro-social arm, CMT One Country, and to empower our viewers to take action and support victims of the recent tragedies through a targeted PSA campaign driving continued visibility, engagement, participation, and donations of support to victims.
At a time when headlines were starting to fade following the devastating natural disasters and mass shooting in fall 2017, CMT sought to use our marquee "Artists of the Year" live tentpole event to lend aid and support to those affected. Disaster recovery was just beginning and the need had never been greater, yet many were overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of simultaneous crises.
The CMT team saw an immediate opportunity to stand up and lean into our responsibility as a powerhouse media brand. We sought to leverage our first-rate music and media relationships, raise awareness of the importance of long term investment in recovery efforts, and bring people together for the greater good through CMT One Country.
CMT tapped into industry relationships to secure iconic stars like Dolly Parton, as well as our Artists of the Year honorees, Chris Stapleton, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban and Luke Bryan, as spokespersons featured in three public service announcements. In under 2 weeks, CMT delivered impactful and deeply motivating testimonies that encouraged viewers to step up and make a difference. The PSAs drove traffic to CMTonecountry.com, which encouraged involvement in community efforts to give back, as well as highlighted reputable donation organizations for on-going relief efforts.
Following the live broadcast, CMT and our media agency, Horizon Media, partnered to extend the life of this PSA campaign beyond our owned media by activating this content across a wide portfolio of national and local platforms and outlets. The PSAs ran as pre-roll across dozens of websites and ad networks, including Rolling Stone, US Magazine, and Deadline; before blockbuster films at multiplexes; on digital billboards in urban centers, shopping malls, airports, taxis, gas stations, and college campuses; and across the social media accounts of blue-chip media partners including Bustle, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and GQ. Furthermore, over 150 local broadcast TV stations in 37 local markets planned to run the spots, collectively delivering hundreds of millions of media impressions in the weeks that followed.
| The revised tone of the 2017 "CMT Artists of the Year" was a tremendous success, bringing together artists from across multiple genres to pay tribute to victims of recent tragedies. The show garnered its highest ratings in its eight-year history and trended worldwide on Twitter, and, more importantly, exceeded its goal in connecting music and fans with meaning and hope. Additionally, the pro bono media campaign that followed delivered millions of dollars of media value, stretching from national platforms to local communities and providing support and participation when it was needed most. The PSAs generated well over $2 million in media value, and delivered 1.6MM digital impressions and 253MM OOH media impressions. 708 local cable spots aired including top markets like Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Nashville and more. Distribution covered all major networks including NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX and CW. Furthermore, talent participated socially to help spread the message of perseverance beyond linear screens. |
