Archive for August 19th, 2008

Here in the U.S., the advertising industry is getting its moment of TV fame thanks to AMC’s “Mad Men.” But a new TV show in Australia is taking a much more serious approach to advertising, presenting it as a science and a discipline. “The Gruen Transfer,” shown on the country’s public Australian Broadcasting Corp. network (which does not accept commercials), tries to get behind the ads people see on TV and find out what makes them succeed or fail.

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By iTVX Staff

According to MediaPost, Google is beginning to test out display ads on the YouTube mobile site in the United States as well as Japan. Google purchased YouTube back in 2006 for $1.6 billion.   “This is our first step in testing mobile advertising for YouTube–it will give you a new way to interact with content on the go, while allowing us to learn how video viewers engage with mobile advertising,” Christine Tsai, product marketing manager at YouTube, told MediaPost. “Our test advertisers will also have an additional branding tool at their disposal and the opportunity to reach the millions of people who visit YouTube every day on their phones.”

For the full story, click here.

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Pre-roll advertising is highly effective when paired with the right content, according to new proprietary research from online video ad network Tremor Media.

A study of more than 100 campaigns with nearly 65 million pre-roll impressions showed pre-roll video completion rates of around 80% for both 15- and 30-second streaming video advertising.

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The highly anticipated film, Watchmen starring Patrick Wilson, Billy Crudup and Matthew Goode, is scheduled to be released March 9, 2009.The movie is based on a 1980s DC Comics graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, and is believed to have a budget nearing about $120 million.

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Microsoft’s MSN today premieres Republicrats, a new 25-episode comedy series centered around a fictional presidential candidate who places much of his campaign’s strategy in the hands of Web viewers.

The short form show, which will unfold over the last few months of the 2008 presidential campaign, is produced by Generate, the Santa Monica, Calif.-based produced firm launched by former WB CEO Jordan Levin. Series creator Sean Masterson stars as a voter who is disenchanted with both political parties and decides to run for office as a “Republicrat,” i.e.: a candidate who stands for nothing in particular.

“His idea is to create a do-it-yourself party,” said Levin, Generate’s CEO. “His thinking is ‘Let America decide. I have no opinion on anything. How can it go wrong?’”

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By iTVX Staff

Gawker has an interesting story today on how Nike sponsored the front page of a small free monthly sports magazine in New York. The front cover features Sarah Reinertsen the first leg amputee to finish the Ironman triathlon, with a Nike shirt and shoe and the bottom left of the page is dubbed “The Human Race 40K” with a Nike logo next to it. On a day TV Guide has an ABC-themed edition with ads (see previous story) it’s clear product placement is expanding way beyond the realm of television, film, web, and mobile. Personally, it seems a bit much. The magazine runs a risk of coming off, as Gawker points out, as a circular. It’s a fine line - what’s your take on it? Read the Gawker story here.

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“The name is Sony, Sony Ericsson C907.” Highly unlikely that Daniel Craig will mutter this line in the next James Bond flick. But with companies increasingly using superheroes to sell their products, don’t be baffled if you catch the super spy flaunting his cell phone a bit longer than usual in his new movie, the Quantum of Solace. After all, he isn’t the only one doing it.

Batman did it in the recent box-office blockbuster Dark Knight. Before him, Hancock, The Incredible Hulk and the Ironman did the same in all their movies. And now it’s 007’s turn, who will be seen promoting a new cell phone from Sony Ericsson. So, are superheroes the new brand ambassadors?

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By iTVX Staff

In International news today, Xbox 360 is outselling Playstation 3 for the first time in the Japanese market. As documented on Variety.com today, the game system sold 28,116 units the week ending Aug. 10 in comparison to the 10,705 PS3 sold. Wii knocked them both off with 41,044 units.

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By Jon Chattman, iTVX Staff

Ready. Set. Eat. That’s essentially what contestants will do on a new Food Network series tentatively titled Eat the Clock. The show will be, as written in The Hollywood Reporter, an eating competition mixed with components of The Amazing Race. In essence, two teams of contestants will race in and out of Los Angeles eateries and stuff their faces in various challenges. The show is expected to film soon. One can only imagine how many opportunities there are for product placement here.

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WashingtonPost.com and corporate sibling Newsweek.com will partner to produce seven hours of live video footage each day from both the upcoming Republican and Democratic Conventions—and for the first time, reporters from each site will use cell phone cameras to capture live interviews and highlights for both events.

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