You’re probably familiar with the idea of Easter eggs in video games, but have you noticed them yet in television?

My Name Is Earl is generating some buzz for placing Easter eggs in the show that only viewers with high-definition widescreen televisions will see. For example, in the screenshot you see here, that guy on the left in the background is holding a sign that says “High Def Rocks!”

My guess is that this is far from a calculated ploy to generate word of mouth for the show. One day, someone on set probably said something to the effect of, “Hey, why not stick a sign in the guy’s hand instead of having him just stand there?”

In-jokes are nothing new in movies and television, but Earl’s eggs are really capturing people’s imagination. And if you do have a high-def set and stumble upon “Hi def rocks!” (as I did), your reaction is probably very positive (as mine was): How cool! How creative! This show is really smart!

Connecting with your audience. You can cross that one off your list, Earl.

Takeaway for marketers: Details count. So do seemingly throwaway ideas.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 30th, 2006 at 6:00 am and is filed under Marketing Stuff, Marketing Takeaways.