The Marketing Innovation Blog

I’m a huge Sesame Street fan. I remember coming home from morning kindergarten and wolfing down my lunch so I could watch the show at noontime sharp. It was THAT good.

And it still is. I have a one-year-old son whose head does a 180 when a chorus of children gleefully singing “Sunny day, sweepin’ the clouds away…” bursts out of the TV. He’ll stare, mouth agape, at the colorful puppet characters for a good five minutes as they interact with him through the screen. Yes, five minutes. Hey, that’s a LOT to a toddler.

There are a myriad of reasons Sesame Street has thrived over the 40 years it has been in production. For one, they’re not afraid of change and they keep up with the times. Elmo knows how to surf the web. Miles shoots a video for a school project. They’ve even updated the theme song to a catchy little ditty. But they also know when classic characters should stay put. Everyone knows who Big Bird, Ernie, and Grover are. Heck, even Gordon, Maria, Linda and Bob, the NON-puppets, are still “living” there! And they stick with core values that are reinforced in every preschool, nursery and elementary school, while incorporating different cultures, and people of different races and abilities.

But beyond those reasons, Sesame Street has been a master at incorporating technology in a very smart way. Their web site is easy to use and encourages learning with interactive games and allows parents and children to personalize their very own “My Street” site. The site is an extension of the show, and changes daily to reflect the daily show’s theme – featuring the letter of the day as well as videos of the day. There are even Sesame Street iPhone aps, a lifesaver for parents who need to keep their children entertained while waiting at a restaurant or in line in the grocery store. Who doesn’t want to help Elmo create a monster on “Elmo’s Monster Maker?”

What Sesame Street does NOT do is incorporate product placement in their episodes. Although it is a show that needs corporate funding to stay afloat, I don’t know if I have EVER seen a brand-name product mentioned or strategically placed in a scene. I remember reading a Mommy blogger complain that a character delivered Pampers, instead of plain diapers, to Gina the veterinarian on one episode. I’m not sure if that was an oversight on the producers’ parts, but some people were offended. Really. There must be a reason, though, that Sesame Street does NOT use trademarked products (something to do with the public broadcasting piece of this pie, perhaps?). Would it make a difference if it did? Obviously they have sponsors like American Greetings and Earth’s Best Organic Baby Food, but I usually see that in a form of a PSA or commercial before the episode airs. Interesting.

So, congratulations Sesame Street for creating a program that has been more than just a children’s show for 40 years: You have successfully put meaning into television. Here’s hoping for another 40 more… at least.