Kelsey Grammer Takes Over Your Facebook – BOSS “Price For Power”

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Starz needs all the help it can get with its original programming.  Boss is about to start its second season, and though the show is definitely able to stand on its own merits–great cast, stellar writing, egregious nudity–it only makes sense in this space-age, push-button, Internet world to introduce a marketing strategy that incorporates social media.  After all, a show may be great, but if no one’s watching it, it’s like a tree falling in the woods.

So Starz has launched this “video experience” called “Price For Power.”  Kelly Bumann, senior vp for digital marketing over at Starz, told The Hollywood Reporter that “The allure and corruptibility of political power was the perfect backdrop to ‘Price For Power’ and a virtual experience like no other.  The Facebook Connect technology platform provides a seamless vehicle for you to see what life could be like if you were the one in control and the ramifications that could ripple through your social network as a result.”

So I figured, what the hell, I’m game, and gave it a tumble.  I’m always a little nervous allowing outside parties access to my social media information, but then again, if I was truly worried about on-line privacy, I wouldn’t be on Facebook at all.  I did click the option that would not allow the app to post for me, so perhaps I missed out on an aspect of the “Price For Power” experience, but I also don’t want my feed being used as a plugging machine for another entity more than it already kinda is.

Once I allowed the site access to my Facebook, a video began playing, a kind of rehash ofBossseason one, but with my name in place of Mayor Kane and his season 1 protégé/rival Illinois State Treasurer Alex Zajac.  I will admit to a little thrill at seeing “Jimmy Callaway for Governor” signs in rows on green Illinois lawns–kind of like when I was a kid and my grandma got me one of those personalized Sesame Street books where Grover introduced me around to his Muppet buddies by name.  Then, as the video narrative moved along, documents begin to leak exposing my corrupt regime, and I “received” e-mails from my cousin and a couple people I never, ever talk to on Facebook.  The graphics are a little low-rent, but it was still a neat little video until it conked out with about a minute left.  To be fair, my computer has been acting screwy lately.  It is an entire year old now, after all, so I’m surprised it’s not spewing smoke.

So all in all, the “Price For Power” Boss promotion is a fun little way to kill a few minutes in your cubicle while your own boss is in the break room making an herbal tea.  Like I was saying, it’s a bit beneath the dignity of such a serious, political-gangster drama, but if it helps pull in more subscribers, leading to further seasons and/or more quality original programming from Starz, then I think it’s a worthy sacrifice.  And it’s a lot less lame than FarmVille.

Boss season 2 premieres Friday, August 17th.