Archive for August 13th, 2008

By iTVX Staff

Gawker calls out filmmaker Brett Morgan and his film Drive and Deliver today for being essentially a movie about the Navistar International truck company rather than a trucker’s tale. I haven’t seen the film yet, but the article says it’s another example of advertising going too far.

For the story, click here

Share This

It’s no coincidence that cable shows such as “The Closer,” “Mad Men” and “Project Runway” are stealing all the buzz and some of the ratings from their broadcast counterparts once again this summer. The cumulative $19 billion investment cable networks have put into original programming since 2003 is beginning to pay off, according to a pair of new studies from the Cable Advertising Bureau and SNL Kagan.

Full Story

Share This

Much has been written about hospitality of Olympian proportions in Beijing, as the city and China as a whole take their place on the world stage as an honor, and a responsibility. But while the positive press over East meeting West has tended to focus on the small, human, everyday encounters at the “Bird’s Nest” stadium or the “Water Cube” natatorium, one of Beijing’s greatest acts of hospitality may have occurred in negotiations invisible to the public.

Full Story

Share This

After lagging behind other markets in their use of music branding campaigns, Australia’s music and marketing sectors are sprinting to make up lost ground.

The amount of money going to music companies from branding tie-ins has surged by about 60% annually since 2006 and should climb by about the same rate this year and in 2009, says Sean Pickwell, managing director of “band and brand” specialist Waterfront Entertainment Marketing of Sydney, whose clients include Sony Ericsson, Garnier hair-care products and Ford Motor.

Most high-profile deals to date have involved international acts and multinational brands. One source notes that even the biggest Australian-owned companies have difficulty attracting key acts, as “they only have about a quarter of the multinationals’ marketing budgets.”

Full Story

Share This

By iTVX Staff

How’s this for an odd and somewhat poor example product placement? The Wall Street Journal has an interesting story today about Kendra Wilkinson, a Playboy cover girl, who can’t get enough of the Olive Garden. Wilkinson reportedly sings the praises of the Italian food chain anytime she can via MySpace or television appearances, but the owners of the chain are dismayed at her advances. Garden is known as a family restaurant and having a blonde bombshell who likes to shed her clothing attached to it is bad for their rep. In other words, Olive Garden doesn’t see any blonde highlights.

Share This

Big-name restaurant marketers are rolling out a host of promotions to support the latest Veggie Tales DVD release.

Returning partner Applebee’s will support the new DVD, “3-2-1 Penguins! Save The Planets,” which hits stores Sept. 2, through its national kid’s menu program with 6 million eight-page activity booklets in nearly 2,000 restaurant locations. An online presence at www.Applebees.com runs September through November.

Full Story

Share This

By Jon Chattman, iTVX Staff

Driving home from a recent trip, I channel surfed on my Sirius-satellite radio console. (Product placement in a blog post I know, right?) I stopped when I heard what I thought was a jingle. As one knows, satellite radio is for the most part, commercial free so I was a bit taken aback. As I listened to the jingle further, I realized it wasn’t an ad. It was actually Chris Brown’s song “Forever.” The song, which like any Brown song is heating up the charts, takes a page from that old Doublemint gum commercial: “double your pleasure, double your fun.”

The taste, well, honestly, didn’t move me but it’s very interesting to see this sort of new form of subliminal product placements. Singers always namedrop products in songs but to take a line from a jingle was a new one for me. It’s honestly far less intrusive. Wouldn’t it be absurd to have Brown dropping Doublemint gum as his favorite choice in the middle of a love song? Perhaps.

In any event, I think as DVR surges even further, new ways of product placement will continue. The industry, as always, continues to evolve. Next year, Mark Burnett will be bringing us a new show called “Jingle,” where contestants will create jingles for actual products. Similar to Brown’s song in a different medium, I dug the subliminal Mountain Dew message in “Step Brothers.” Will Ferrell simply wears a shirt with the soft drink logo on it. Isn’t it better to have Ferrell wearing a shirt with a soft drink logo on it, then to have his character out of left field shout out “Dew the Dew!” That’s not to say it doesn’t work by the way. I still quote “it’s Miller time” from “Ghostbusters.”

Share This

By Jon Chattman, iTVX Staff

Summer’s not dead yet (it’s on its last legs sort of) but now seems like an appropriate time to review the top product placements featured in movies this summer. Keep in mind, this is merely my opinion but these placements stood out in a seamless, engaging way.

Iron Man and his Audi: Tony Stark was the definition of cool in and out of his car, but when he pulls up in that Audi during a party scene, he’s the coolest man on the planet. Read the rest of this entry »

Share This

By iTVX Staff

Ice cream and cartoons? Two things that kids absolutely love. Obviously sensing that, Summit Entertainment has partnered with MaggieMoo’s Ice Cream & Treatery and Marble Slab Creamery on its new film, “Fly Me to the Moon,” the first animated movie shot in 3D. The partnership will include a newly created ice cream flavor tied to the film called “Marshmallow Moon Landing.” In addition, MaggieMoo’s and Marble Slab will donate $300 gift cards as part of a national promotion/contest for the film. MaggieMoo’s and Marble Slab will also give its customers advance passes to see the film.

Share This

After early success in the reality realm with unscripted series like Survivor, CBS‘ latest offerings include failures like Kid Nation and Great American Dog. Now Ghen Maynard, the network’s executive vice president for alternative programming, is taking the fall.

Full Story

Share This