…and a multi-media blitz to go with it
It’s no big secret that talent tends to run in the family, and the Rodriguez family is no exception. Rico has already made a big impact as the all-too-insightful son of Sofia Vergara on ABC’s Modern Family and proven his flexibility as a young pitchman in a recent “Back to School” series of office-supply commercials. And we’ve seen glimpses of his sister Raini Rodriguez before, in Paul Blart, Mall Cop to Prom and guest shots on TV series from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody to I’m in the Band. Now the 18-year-old is part of the ensemble cast of Disney’s newest kid-sitcom, Austin & Ally, also starring Laura Marano (Without a Trace) and newcomer Ross Lynch. The premise, according to Disney, “follows polar opposites-an extroverted musician/singer, and a brilliant yet shy songwriter-who combine their talents in an attempt to create a true musical tour-de-force.”
The half-hour show itself premieres Sunday, December 4 at 8P on the Disney Channel (right after a brand-new guest appearance by Justin Beiber on So Random!, no less!), but in an impressive burst of Disney synergy, the on-air debut is actually the last act of a multi-media blitz across TV and the internet.
This is the way a series is launched in 2011:
- Friday, November 11, DisneyChannel.com launches an Austin & Ally supersite with videos, games, activities, and downloads
- Tuesday, November 22 the preview episode will be available for free on iTunes
- Friday, November 25, the episode will be available on DisneyChannel On Demand
- Friday, December 2 the show will be previews on Sprint TV and Mobi TV
- Saturday, December 3, the show will be available on DisneyChannel.com, Mobile VOD that’s AT&T, Spring, Verizon, and Xbox)
- And then, on December 4, Justin Bieber appears on So Random! Right before the official premiere of Austin & Ally at 8P.
TV, VOD, phones and the internet–that’s how you do it these days.
