‘MILF Manor’ Was a Marketing Problem for TLC. Here is How They Did It

TLC entrepreneurs straight away realized that the new dating sequence “MILF Manor” would pose a challenge — just on its title by itself. That is not to point out its premise: 8 single women of all ages, involving the ages of 40 and 60, dating gentlemen who are decades young. (And here’s the twist: That pool of males are the women’s sons.)

“I consider we all experienced a instant the place we went, ‘Wait, what? What are we doing?’” TLC senior VP of internet marketing Jennifer Jakowicz says of “MILF Manor,” which premiered Jan. 15. “It was a slight second of panic. Then we all sort of focused our energies, and we mentioned, ‘OK, we’re gonna do this.’”

But some of the typical advertising techniques, these as paid media, had to be reconsidered. “We ended up turned down by some media shops, understandably,” Jakowicz claims. “We were being surely not putting any cash to compensated research, for the reason that that algorithm would not operate in our favor. So we did not come at this marketing campaign from a paid attitude. We arrived at it from a ‘We know this is heading to be noisy and buzzy. We know that TLC is the manufacturer to do this kind of title.’”

TLC is no stranger to edgy, with demonstrates like “My 600-Lb. Life” and “90 Working day Fiance.” In the situation of “MILF,” relying on mainly unpaid media was quick. Turns out that outlets (which include, sure, Wide range) couldn’t resist crafting about the exhibit with the salacious title.

It was a serious-existence version of “30 Rock’s” infamous faux fact series “MILF Island” (“25 tremendous-warm mothers, 50 eighth quality boys, no rules”). But this was genuine, and chum for social media chatter.

“When that natural and organic social conversation occurs and that wildfire commences — one where by you just can’t even keep up with it — that is really worth hundreds of thousands of bucks,” Jakowicz says. (For the file, she won’t comment on the similarity to “MILF Island.”)

Even performing with the push arrived with guard rails. News releases had to refer to the show in e mail matter headers as “M Manor,” to keep away from spam filters. And in marketing spots, Jakowicz’s team strategically did not dwell on the acronym “MILF” (which, for the harmless, signifies … well, go appear it up — but not on a operate personal computer).

“We never say ‘MILF,’” Jakowicz notes. “We just allow the card [with the show title] sit for an further three to five seconds, and it is just a visible. We ended up thorough and thoughtful about not saying it all the time, due to the fact it loses a minimal little bit of its luster. … But when you just put it up on a display screen or on a social card and people today read it, it elicits extra of a chuckle or an ‘Oh, you naughty, naughty folks at TLC!’”

Once the show’s twist was revealed, Jakowicz suggests her workforce could emphasis on the mom/son angle: “We knew right away that showing the heart and the soul of this demonstrate was going to be essential.”

And now that “MILF Manor” is several episodes in, Jakowicz claims TLC needs to unabashedly individual the term “MILF.” “If we can do that, we would be so very pleased,” she says. “We want that moniker ‘MILF’ to be a badge of honor as we get started to develop equity in it.”

For Jakowicz, that features a private embrace of the phrase: “We have a MILF quiz on TLC .com. Of program we all took it, and my success were being I was a ‘moderate MILF.’ I was highly offended. So my 2023 target is I’m likely to get the job done on my MILFness.”