MTV wants to make sure Jenna Hamilton's adventures are well documented.
The cable network, timed to the second season premiere of breakout comedy Awkward, is launching a Facebook page for its lead character (portrayed by Ashley Rickards), The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively.
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"We're really trying to break down the borders of what was traditional marketing: you hve three to four weeks to ramp up to a new season, spend money in the marketplace and then move on to the next show. The reality is there's too much going on in the world and so much competition that we've taken a 365-day approach to all our big priority shows and we don't want to leave fans at the end of the last episode," MTV executive vp marketing and multiplatform at MTV Tina Exarhos told THR, noting that she expects the network to make similar announcements regarding its unscripted fare in the coming months.
The page -- to be penned by Awkward creator Lauren Iungerich -- is part of MTV's "storytelling without borders" initiative announced at its April upfronts as a way to bridge the gaps between seasons. The fictional character's Facebook page, a first for the network, will also engage viewers during the show's upcoming second season with online actions that will foreshadow, interweave and mirror what's unfolding on the air when Season 2 returns Thursday, June 28.
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"What's so great about the Facebook page is it's almost going to feel like Jenna Hamilton is alive while you're watching the show becuase you will see something pop up that pertains to the current episode and there will be foreshadowing of the episode to come and other random Jenna Hamilton musings," Iungerich told THR. "You can check back to her page and see where her head is at leading us to the next episdoe. It's really cool to give these characters life between each episode."
The Awkward online venture comes as the show's official Facebook page jumped 76 percent between seasons, to more than 700,000 fans and after MTV's Teen Wolf reboot became the network's first show to top 1 million Facebook fans in its first seasons.
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In an effort to retain social media engagement with viewers, MTV created a similar digital bridge between Teen Wolf seasons, creating Teen Wolf: The Hunt, an interactive online experience where fans engaged with characters of the drama one-on-one. Teen Wolf thus far in its second season is up year-over-year and continues to trend as the top nonsports program across cable and television on Monday nights.
MTV's Jenna Hamilton Facebook page launches Thursday; Awkward Season 2 premieres a week later, on June 28 at 10:30 p.m.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit
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