Verizon Scores Coveted ‘Gossip Girl’ Integration Deal
Posted by iTVX Staff on October 22nd, 2007
Photo Credit: Eric Liebowitz/The CW
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — Toothy trust-fund babies claw their way to the top of the social set in CW’s “Gossip Girl.” But in real life, it’s marketers that fought to get their mobile devices into the hands of the teen cast.
Verizon Wireless won a four-way scrum among the nation’s biggest telecommunications marketers — Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T — to nab its multimillion-dollar role in “Gossip Girl.”
Reluctant to talk
Since admitting to one’s desire to be in with the in-crowd is unseemly, those who didn’t get invited to the party were understandably reluctant to talk about it. AT&T’s wireless unit looks at a “variety of opportunities,” said a spokesman, while T-Mobile said it “had no information” about looking at “Gossip Girl.” Sprint executives were unavailable to comment. The winner, naturally, was gracious in victory. “I can understand there being an appetite for a partnership with ‘Gossip Girl,’” said Lou Rossi, Verizon Wireless’ director-media and sponsorships.
So will viewers. The wealthy Manhattan teens at the center of “Gossip Girl” routinely use Verizon Wireless phones to talk to friends, send text messages, and even locate a seedy gambling den. Each character has his or her own phone, with Serena van der Woodsen — the show’s queen bee — using a blue LG Chocolate 2.0; rival Blair Waldorf makes do with an orange EnV. Serena’s not-so-well-to-do suitor, Dan Humphrey, sports a Motorola Krzr.
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November 2nd, 2008 at 3:31 pm
[…] With their superior ratings and genes, the Gossip Girl cast would have performed much better on the Blackberry carpet. Plus, everyone knows that the show is the biggest product placement opportunity for Verizon. […]
December 1st, 2008 at 9:25 pm
[…] series will be developed primarily for mobile viewing as part of the show’s distribution deal with Verizon signed last year. Episodes will first be available only through Verizon phones, but […]
December 26th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
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