“You should go on American Idol!” That’s become the standard response whenever we hear someone we know or even don’t belt out a good song at karaoke, or singing to themselves well while they work or clean. American Idol has become so ingrained in our minds over its past eleven seasons that it has become as standard television fare as the news.
This phenomena is especially apparent when you look at American Idols Live, a tour featuring the top ten finalists of the years American Idol. It is simply feverishly popular, with American Idols Live tickets being sold like hotcakes from the first minute they’re available, and each show being booked up. But why is this? Is it simply the popularity of the show, or is it something more?
Let’s be frank. Even though it isn’t the only reason the tour is popular, the marketing campaign behind it is fantastic. The performers for the show have two big television slots a week where they’re the center of attention for months, not to mention all the ads running for the actual show during the day. Sure the tour itself might not get too many television ads, but most performers would kill for that kind of exposure. They even get the little things right perfectly.
American Idols Live Tickets are available for purchase not after the show has concluded, but a week or two before the finale when even those who got bored are tuning back in. This is ingenious. You know every single performer that will be there already, since it features the top ten and who the winner is is redundant for the actual tour, but it’s when the show is still at its fevered pitch and not when people are winding down from the intensity of it all.
As said before marketing isn’t the only reason the tour is successful. So what are the other ones? Really they’re just that the tour has both a unique format, a unique premise, and an interesting variety. There are ten singers at American Idols Live, and they aren’t all singing at the same time in every song. There are solos, there are duets, quartets, and a huge all in song for the finale. And each of the singers have their own unique style, tastes and so forth.
It’s like watching four or five tours all mixed together where they take turns and do cross overs. Even those who don’t like live shows usually can enjoy them, because of the high production value and the fact that it’s changed up enough that it doesn’t ever get boring.
To say that American Idols Live would be popular whatever happened because of the show sounds like the truth, but it really isn’t. It would likely only be half as popular if it was it’s own venture, but it would be nowhere near as popular as it is now if not for its unique format, excellent marketing, and if it simply wasn’t a very good production.
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