‘Twin Peaks’-themed Ad from Network Television Association in ‘Adweek’ on September 17, 1990

Mark Frost and David Lynch’s Twin Peaks changed network television when it first aired in 1990. The Network Television Association (NTA) certainly paid attention as shows like Twin Peaks meant viewers were tuning in to the ABC Television Network. In anticipation of the show’s second season debut, the NTA ran a full-page ad in the September 17, 1990 issue of “Adweek” featuring Laura Palmer.

‘TWIN PEAKS’-THEMED AD IN ‘ADWEEK’ ON SEPTEMBER 17, 1990

I recently acquired an auction lot full of newspaper and magazine clippings from the early 1990s. I love getting these items as I never know what I will discover. Imagine my delight at seeing an advertisement I never knew existed until today. In the September 17, 1990 issue of “Adweek,” the Network Television Association ran a full page advertisement featuring Laura Palmer from Twin Peaks.

The ad boldly proclaimed, “Laura Palmer Isn’t Dead” complete with a publicity photo of her wrapped in plastic. The advertising copy read:

That’s just one of the many Laura Palmer theories currently making the rounds. Truth is, we won’t know who killed Laura Palmer until the new season. But the fact that you stopped to read this ad demonstrates a most significant phenomenon: the impact of network television. From coast to coast, in condos and conference rooms, around garages and golf clubs, between classes and carpools, people can’t stop talking about what’s happening on “Twin Peaks.”

Sure, we could talk numbers. We could talk about the 208,000,000 people who tune in network television every week. But while statistics can measure network’s power to capture audience, no statistic can measure network television’s unique ability to capture the imagination of so many people. Network television. It touches everyone. 

The photo is from a publicity photo containing two image of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) on television including a photo from when Doc Hayward and Sheriff Harry S. Truman find her wrapped in plastic during the pilot.

The Network Television Association (NTA) was founded on April 3, 1990 as a trade organization representing major broadcast networks such as ABC, CBS, and NBC. These big three network united to promote broadcast television and counter the rising competition from cable.

It’s no surprise they would utilize Twin Peaks, which was a network hit for ABC, to promote network television to advertisers and agencies in a major advertising magazine like ‘Adweek.’

The trade association, however, couldn’t stop cable and they certainly couldn’t predict the pervasive streaming found today. Funny enough, Twin Peaks would also make the move from tradition network television to the cable network Showtime decades later after this ad ran.

Download a high-resolution image of this advertisement on my Flickr account – https://www.flickr.com/photos/aloha75/55509996828