I’m really sick of advertising companies and the brands they represent crying over the lost revenues from TV viewers skipping over commercials with their DVRs and/or TiVos. While it’s true I do fast-forward through most commercials, I have been known to stop and watch the ones I like. You know, the ones that don’t suck. Apparently, though, the only way companies feel they can get through to today’s youth and into their and their parents’ pockets is to create long-form “branded entertainment” and put it online. It’s nothing more than advanced product placement where the entirety of the piece has a story line, but it’s based around the products.
The New York Times has a full write-up on the trend that’s interesting and upsetting at the same time. The short of it is, the branded entertainment is working. So much so that Anheuser-Busch plans to put online a seven-channel televisionlike network called BudTV in February and Burger King is doing a full-length feature film possibly starring the “King” character.
Brands Produce Their Own Shows [new york times]