MTV is using IGTV, Instagram’s stand-alone long-form video app, to release its nominations for this year’s Video Music Awards.
The network partnered with a team of popular Instagrammers, including Nyle DiMarco, Tessa Brooks, Bretman Rock, Scotty Sire and Toddy Smith, who all created original videos for IGTV, the first time for an award show, to reveal the award show’s gender neutral categories.
Together, the creators have a reach of more than 22 million followers. MTV has 18.5 million followers across brand and social accounts, the network said.
“Our target market is younger, and our fans are younger, and they’re flocking to Instagram,” said Jacqueline Parkes, CMO and executive vp, digital studios for MTV, VH1, and Logo. “It was a no-brainer for us to go to IGTV.”
Since launching at the end of June, IGTV has been used by publishers like National Geographic to celebrities like Kim Kardashian West.
“IGTV was essentially built to solve problems that we have for mobile video today. Why and what we watch is changing but hasn’t evolved. IGTV is mobile first, full screen, immersive and vertical,” said Lauren Wirtzer Seawood, head of music partnerships at Instagram, later adding, “It’s an innovative way to tap into those fan bases and create fully immersive, long-form content that will resonate really well with those fans.”
Instagram isn’t the only social media platform MTV is partnering with this year. On Twitter, users will be able to direct message “@MTV” to vote up until the award show’s live broadcast for a best new artist.
The 2018 MTV VMAs are scheduled to air live from Radio City Music Hall on August 20.
ADWEEK
