Archive for July 11th, 2008

Matt Seiler is leaving his post as president and CEO of media agency PHD North America to become Global CEO of Universal McCann.

Seiler replaces Nick Brien, who was simultaneously named president and CEO of a newly created Mediabrands unit, whose mission it will be to oversee all the IPG media assets including media agencies Universal McCann and Initiative, their negotiating entity Magna, media barter group Magna Trading, the dedicated Johnson & Johnson agency J3, diversified agencies NSA, OSI and Wahlstrom, as well as marketing accountability unit MAP and IPG’s Emerging Media Lab.

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WebMD has partnered with General Nutrition Corporation to launch a co-branded content channel, Live Well Topic Center, focused on promoting the use of vitamins and supplements among consumers.

The new channel will reside on both companies’ Web sites (WebMD.com and GNC.com), with each driving traffic to the other’s relevant content. As part of the multi-year agreement, literature designed to educate consumers on the importance of vitamins for good health will be distributed throughout GNC’s nearly 5,000 retail locations.

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At the second day of the TV Critics Association’s convention, MTV Networks kicked off its portion of the press tour with two panels on Comedy Central’s latest programs: the network’s update of The Gong Show, launching July 17, and Chocolate News, a magazine spoof show–from a black perspective–set to premiere first quarter, and starring and executive produced by In Living Color’s David Alan Grier.

Perhaps most notable from the two panels was Gong Show host Dave Attel pushing the bounds of propriety among blushing members of the press. Having talked up the series as a raunchy remake of the Chuck Barris original, Attel told attendees exactly where the new program draws the line. “On full penetration,” he said.

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Nearly two-thirds or 64 percent of U.S. households that rely on free, over-the-air TV, have already taken steps to prepare for the Feb. 17, 2009 switch to digital broadcasting, according to a survey released Thursday (July 10) by the National Association of Broadcasters.

The poll was conducted between March 29 and May 13 with 5,535 broadcast-only homes. To prepare for the DTV switch, respondents said they had learned about or applied for a $40 TV converter box coupon provided by the federal government, or shopped for one. When asked how they would upgrade for DTV, 35 percent said they would buy a converter box using the coupon and 45 percent said they would buy a TV set with a digital tuner.

“The initial phase of the DTV education campaign is clearly making an impact in creating awareness,” said Seth Geiger, president of Smith-Geiger LLC, which conducted the poll for the NAB.

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Yahoo said plans to roll out more than 400 free ad-supported casual games on its own gaming site and multiple partner sites by the end of this year—and to facilitate that rollout, it’s partnering with the in-game advertising firms Double Fusion and NeoEdge.

Though Yahoo has sold advertising in and around casual games which are played directly on Yahoo Games and other properties for over a decade, it’s also long offered users the option to download more elaborate games to their desktops for a fee. Typically, users can try these games for a limited period of time before they elect to make a purchase.

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