updated analysis of marketing for Life on Mars

1. Life on mars marketing
By Daniel Bretherton

2. DVDS
• For both series of life on Mars, the marketing included a DVD release
and then a box set was released containing both series. Series one of
the series contained 4 discs as did series two and the complete box
set contained 8 discs. For the complete box set, they released an
uncut version for the audience.

3. Merchandise
Life on Mars was sold to the fans on t shirts and they also released 3 books that were on the opinion on
policing form Gene Hunt. The books were The Rules of Modern Policing in 2007, The future of Modern Policing
in 2008 and The Wit and Wisdom of Gene Hunt in 2009. Also a part of the merchandise they released the
soundtrack form the series and a 2008 calendar and a 2013 calendar just on the character of Gene Hunt

4. Advertising
• Life on Mars was on the front cover of many magazines for the release of series 2. The pose for each
magazine cover was different to each other. The Radio Times had a pose of Gene grabbing Tyler by the scruff
of the neck to symbolize that he had the most power. The magazine cover for SFX had Tyler and Gene next to
each other but Gene as a bigger image to suggest that his character was more important. The cover for TV
guide had Gene just in front of Tyler and they both have a serious facial expression to symbolize that they
were determined. On the other hand, one magazine has Tyler at the forefront of the cover with Gene in the
background to symbolize the difference in policing from the 70s and 2006

5. BBC press pack
• Included in this pack is an introduction to the show to give the audience more information as to what the show is about. It is also there to
try and attract new fans to the show. It also tells people who play the characters within the series.
• Another section in this pack is how the seventies were brought back to life. This gives the target audience behind the scenes footage and
information as to how they portrayed the seventies in the society that we live in today and to also give them the most real experience of
what the 1970s were like to live in through the show.
• The next link on this page is the cast and creative team. This is included as it allows the target audience to know who plays the characters in
the show and the production team behind the series from writers to directors.
• The next links that are included in this pack is an interview with the main actors in the show. This in included as the target audience can get
to know if they enjoyed doing the show and also they can get to know the actor better and in some cases get to know what they have
appeared in before appearing in this.
• Another part included in this pack is the regulars and guest cast. This allows the target audience to know who appears in every episode of
the series and the cast who appears in one episode.
• The next link is called the cars the star, which allows the audience to know the type of cars that were used whilst filming the show and also
to allow the audience to know what type of cars were used by the police in the 70s.
• The next link is then called do you remember 1973 which allows the target audience to know what happened during 1973. the things
included in this part are:
• Music: Number ones of 1973, entertainment, sport and film.
• The final part of the press pack is the synopses. This allows the target audience to get a better understanding of what happened during the
first 4 episodes of the series

6. Companies that link to the BBC
• BARB- BARB stands for the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board and they deliver the official viewing
figures for UK television audiences. The reason that this links to the BBC is because it allows to the BBC to
view the viewing figures for each program that they transmit and find the most popular shows.
• TV license- The TV license is a license that the general public who have a TV have to pay for in order to watch
TV. The TV license is what funds the BBC and allows them to not include advertisements in between two
shows and in the middle of one show finishing and another one beginning. The reason that the TV license is
linked to the BBC is because it is the BBC who run the TV license so they can see who has paid the TV license
and who hasn’t and fine them.
• OFCOM- OFCOM is a company which the general public can complain to if they see something that they
don’t like. The reason that this links to the BBC is because it allows the BBC to view any complaints made
about the show that has been complained about and fix it so that there are no more complaints.

7. Advertising in the 70s
• Advertising TV shows in the 70s, was very different from today as they only used trailers, posters
and magazines to advertise the shows, whereas advertising TV shows today is much easier as
they still use trailers, posters and magazines but now they can also use the internet and social
media in order to advertise TV shows.
• Also back in the 70s, TV shows wouldn’t have had memes from characters, but now there are
many memes from many TV shows including Life on Mars.
• In the 1970s, advertising wouldn’t have included certain merchandise fore example soundtracks
from the TV shows, whereas now we are able to buy the soundtrack from the shows
• Finally, in the 1970s advertising wouldn’t have included watching the show on catch up as it
wasn’t around then, but now the show is advertised on catch up and is put on catch up as soon as
the show has finished airing on TV

8. David Hesmondhaigh
• David Hesmondhaigh believes that the creative industry uses the same techniques for different
shows. For example the BBC created a spin off from Life on Mars and called it Ashes to Ashes,
which included mainly the same actors within the show except from a few actors. The reason that
they do this is to engage the target audience again, but Hesmondhaigh believes that by using this,
it stifles the release of creativity for new TV shows and also that independent companies aren’t
really independent at all as they have to create products that will be accepted into mainstream
TV, which also stifles creativity.
• Hesmondhaigh also marked the DCMS (Department of Culture, Media and Sport) as false, as they
put up figures that are dubious as they include everyone in them rather than just the creative
team behind the product.