ABC Putting New Emphasis on Soaps

1 ABC Daytime launches a multi-million-dollar on-air campaign this week designed to remind soap opera fans that the company's daytime sudsers — ONE LIFE TO LIVE, GENERAL HOSPITAL and ALL MY CHILDREN - will be packed with excitement and intrigue this season. The "Take a Look Now" campaign is comprised of 60-second spots set to pop music (Keith Urban and Shawn Hlookoff) highlighting upcoming storylines. Says Adam Rockmore, senior VP of marketing for ABC Daytime and SOAPnet, the idea "is to give part-time viewers more reasons to watch one or two more days; and [show] our current heavy viewers how much we're committed to great stories and great writing. Frankly, we have some great entry points for new viewers to come in." In early October, an enormous natural disaster will hit Pine Valley, the fictional locale of ALL MY CHILDREN. And the "Take a Look" promo for the soap will hype the show's new writer, Charles Pratt Jr., who worked on MELROSE PLACE, a nighttime soap with a more youthful cachet.