Drivers could score gas for 91 cents a gallon—the average price of gasoline in LA in 1985.Photo: Courtesy of NBC
LOS ANGELES—To promote the series premiere of Quantum Leap, NBC time traveled back to the ‘80s—hosting "Quantum Leap Day" on Sept. 15.
ICYMI: The original NBC series, which aired from 1989-93, featured a scientist (Dr. Sam Beckett) who was stuck traveling through time, inhabiting a different stranger’s body each week. The reboot picks up 30 years after Beckett was lost in time, with a modern-day physicist (named Dr. Ben Song) ending up in a similar predicament after restarting the Quantum Leap accelerator project. The new show premieres Sept. 19 on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock.
The "Quantum Leap Day" activation transported Los Angelenos back to 1985, the backdrop of the pilot episode of the new series. The one-day event, which took place at the Avalon Parking Lot on North Vine Street, featured a drive-through experience followed by the chance for guests to score gas for 91 cents a gallon, the average price of gasoline in LA in 1985. (Gas prices in the city had recently reached upward of $7.)
“When planning our marketing campaign, we kept playing with the idea of leaping back in time, just like Dr. Ben Song does in each episode of Quantum Leap,” said Margaret Walker, the senior vice president of NBC brand strategy and audience growth for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “In the pilot, he leaps back to 1985, so we created a way for viewers to ‘take the leap’ to that era as well. The price of gas in this country is a topic on everyone’s mind right now, so this was a great opportunity to get people excited about the premiere and engage them in a fun, immersive experience.”
Guests entered the check-in lot, located in Hollywood, aka the “Quantum Accelerator,” where they were immersed in everything 1980s, including a live DJ, trivia, breakdancers, snacks, and giveaways. Guests then received a pass to enter a nearby gas station where they were able to fill up their tank (up to 10 gallons). In order to receive access to the gas station, visitors needed to complete the drive-through experience to receive the registered pass.
“We wanted our guests to have a seamless, safe, and enjoyable experience. Ensuring that we had a clear process in place for crowd control and potential traffic issues was a top priority for us,” Walker said. “Through our planning and preparation, we were able to avoid any challenges on that front.” More than 1,000 Los Angeles consumers visited the activation throughout the day.
As part of its promotional plans, NBC also teamed up with Fandango to offer moviegoers the chance to purchase a movie ticket online for the “1985 price” of $3.55.
See more from the "Quantum Leap Day" activation...
