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'Guiding Light' - an open letter to 'Procter & Gamble'
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Dear Procter & Gamble:
I am not sure if you are aware that the world is at your feet about now. Fans of Guiding Light and every other soap for that matter are crying into their Puffs tissues over the news that CBS has elected to cancel this show which has been getting almost as much press attention as President Obama these days. According to an article in TV Week released earlier today, your company is attempting to find a new home for Guiding Light's Springfield residents.
When I initially got the news detailing the CBS decision to abandon the show I broke out in a sweat. Thanks to my Secret clinical strength deodorant none of my coworkers noticed. Once I advanced far enough along in the article to discover that P&G was intent on finding a new media venue for GL I took a deep breath and actually had a Febreeze moment--you know--the kind of fresh air experience I'm talking about.
I hate to see this show die and I applaud your efforts to try and save it. Guiding Light should have the longevity of your infamous Duracell battery and I would imagine you could use a few of those to keep the bulb in that lighthouse burning. GL is the oldest soap on the airwaves if you count its radio broadcasting days and if you save this show after practically creating the serial drama genre itself, you will go down as one of the greatest companies this country has ever known. If you can manage to find a way to save this one show, a new day will Dawn for soap opera fans everywhere and an entire medium can Bounce back from this terrible news day.
I am aware that everyone and their grandmother is offering up advice right now as to how you can accomplish this but I would only pay serious attention to advice from Roger Newcomb at We Love Soaps. Since I have no experience marketing any show to a new media outlet, I will just suggest one thing and of course you should pay attention to my advice as well. If Springfield finds a new home on a new network or via the Internet I think you should take advantage of the acting and writing talent on this show and use it to showcase one or 50 of your fine products.
I say, abandon the idea of subtly placing your products around the homes of Springfield residents. Instead, have GL actors star in your commercials in character. Trust me, if Phillip Spaulding did a spot shaving with your Gillette products, it would be hot. If we saw Natalia in a commercial disinfecting her floors with Mr. Clean and keeping them tidy in between scrubbing sessions with her Swiffer, it would be amazing. Oh, and now that I think of it, Olivia could most likely use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to wipe Frank out of the picture (just kidding). If you used a dose of humor, worked the commercials around the storylines and gave it a try the audience would never fast forward through those commercial breaks again. They could supplement the storylines perfectly.
The actors are already there and it would be simple to use the writing talent at GL to create sizzling P&G product commercials that tie into storylines. They could be 'Super Bowl'---or did I mean 'Soaper Bowl' worthy.
Sigh, it's really too bad that Phillip had to shove Grady off that cliff because he honestly could have looked much hotter if he just had a bottle of your Head & Shoulders shampoo. Well, I need to go Cascade my dishes (had tuna noodle casserole tonight) and hop in the shower with my Pantene Shampoo and my Olay beauty bar. Sorry to intrude but I am hoping you will consider my idea. Oh, and one more thing. Do consider opening up Farleys and Towers once a month to soaps fans who might want to appear in an episode of the show. People would pay to see Doris sucking up to a cute female bartender and well, I cannot even tell you the revenue you could generate at Ladie's Night at Farleys. It would pay for your commercials.
Thanks for listening and I hope you can save our show. Think Duracell and you will find a way!
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