Viewers with a digital camera and a modicum of technical savvy have a chance to help “Good Morning America” revive what was once a staple of the program: people from all walks of life around the country saying “Good morning, America.” The segments were called “faces.”
Starting today during its second hour, ABC’s morning show will launch the “I Say GMA” promotion, urging viewers to submit videos showing how they say, “Good morning, America.”
It could be with hands painted like the American flag, or a mother holding up a picture of a son in uniform, or a brightly painted kid stretching to greet the day, or a young mother, father and child giggling in bed, or a teacher surrounded by her class.
Those are among the real people ABC News VP and Creative Director Alan Ives included in the video that will kick off the “I Say GMA” campaign.
Some of the images look like those in the network’s popular “iCaught” series, in which people sum up their week in three words.
“It is with great love and affection that we sparked from that,” Mr. Ives said.
He describes “I Say GMA” as part marketing campaign, part “good television.”
“I Say GMA” also will be promoted online and via other platforms. Mr. Ives plans to reach out to schools, colleges and organizations to urge them to participate.
“It’s a wonderful promise you get to make,” he said. “It’s as simple as, ‘Send in your video and be on TV.’”
He recently presented the initiative to the marketing committee of the ABC affiliates advisory board and said there was immediate interest in the option of localizing the campaign.
Jim Murphy, the senior executive producer of “GMA,” is more than enthusiastic about the possibilities of “I Say GMA.”
“It’s not just about three words. It’s about words. It’s about music. It can be about creative visuals. It can be about style. It can be about just a funny picture,” he said.
Mr. Murphy also is thrilled at how much easier it will be to keep more spots coming than it was before.
“So many people have access to us now through the Web, we should be able to collect a lot more interesting material than you can by going out and setting up a shoot where you say, ‘You do this,’” Mr. Murphy said. “It’s a way to use everything we use to communicate and give us a new way to communicate with viewers.”