‘Webisodes’ resurrect single-sponsor model

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:31:10 +0000

Web-based “television” series, “also known as ‘webisodes’ … are being created specifically for advertisers, borrowing a strategy from the early days of radio and television when shows like ‘The Kraft Music Hall,’ ‘The Bell Telephone Hour,’ ‘Lux Radio Theater’ and ‘Schlitz Playhouse of Stars’ entertained Americans while selling cheese, phone service, soap and beer,” The New York Times says.

“Among the major brands proclaiming ‘brought to you by …’ online are Maybelline cosmetics, which is sponsoring [Candace] Bushnell’s Web series, ‘The Broadroom,’ available at maybelline.com/thebroadroom, and ConAgra Foods, which is sponsoring a daily show, ‘What’s So Funny?,’ on yahoo.com, peddling products like Healthy Choice and Marie Callendar’s.”

“’The market place is shifting and brands have to think of themselves as media companies,’ said David Freeman, general manager at Matter in Los Angeles, a Clorox agency that is part of the Edelman Sports and Entertainment Marketing unit of Edelman.” Clorox’s Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressings sponsors “Garden Party” with Jennie Garth, a production of NBC Universal Digital Studio, The Times says.

The Medium, The Message » webisodes

‘Webisodes’ resurrect single-sponsor model