It looks like Twitter hashtags, which have been popping up as social experiments, are going mainstream on TV shows. Fox displayed a small #Bones hashtag on this week’s episode of Bones (see it?), as well as recent episodes of Glee, Fringe and Breaking In.
“We’ve noticed shows like Glee and Idol trend while the show is on, but fans often use different hashtags,” Fox marketing president Joe Earley told TV Guide. “We thought if we provided the official hashtags, then more posts would aggregate.”
Twitter has been encouraging broadcasters to include hashtags, citing several examples on its media blog along with the corresponding tweet spikes. “Think about it this way: as a viewer, the bug reminds you what network you’re watching; the hashtag reminds you that there’s a conversation happening,” says Twitter’s Robin Sloan.
Sure, it’s also great marketing for Twitter. But I think we’ll be seeing a lot more hashtags on TV in the months to come. What do you think? Should shows display hashtags? Or are they just on-screen clutter?
