Madison Avenue has tried all sorts of ways to embed its messages into programs, many times doing more harm than good for brands.
As a refresher, we go back to the show “The Restaurant,” which, while considered a moderate success on NBC, had viewers laughing at the incessant product plugs.
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But ad bombs like “The Restaurant” have not slowed the industry’s seemingly insatiable desire to get closer to the programming it sponsors.
Increasingly, however, advertisers are being more careful how they approach programming. And more sophisticated programmers, afraid of losing audiences who might be turned off by over-the-top product plugs, aren’t so willing to roll over for advertisers.
One show being careful about its image is the WB network’s drama “Gilmore Girls,” which signed a unique marketing deal with Northbrook-based Allstate Insurance Co. that allows the company to piggyback on its programming but is being careful not to try and trick consumers about it.
Through Chicago-based Starcom Entertainment, Allstate is sponsoring vignettes of “Gilmore Greats”–snippets of “pivotal moments” from past “Gilmore Girls” episodes.
The vignettes, which run for 30 seconds during the episode, are branded as “This Gilmore Great is brought to you by Allstate” and ends with the tagline, “Prepare yourself for life’s great moments. Are you in good hands?”
Allstate then runs a regular 30-second ad following the vignette.
The insurer’s goal in trying to latch on closely to the WB show comes as advertisers continue to look for ways to keep viewers from channel surfing during breaks.
In addition, younger viewers, like those on the WB, tend to tune out traditional advertising more than older consumers.
“It’s harder to engage them,” said Laura Caraccioli-Davis, senior vice president at Starcom Entertainment. “When you use content they like, you’re more apt to have them listen.”
The marketing agreement is a first for the WB, which is partially owned by Tribune Co. And WB executives carefully scrutinized the content of the “moments,” which ties into a Web site where fans can vote on their favorite moments.
“They don’t want to offend this fan base,” Caraccioli-Davis said.
Though Allstate won’t have quantitative data until after the four-week run is over; already the insurer says it will use the upfront television-buying season to look for similar deals.
“We might not always hit a home run, but one of the things we want to do is be a little more experimental,” said Lisa Cochrane, assistant vice president, integrated communications, at Allstate. “We’re actively looking for things like this on the WB and other outlets.”
A Noble move: Chicago advertising shop Noble BBDS has landed former Leo Burnett creative Allyson Hunter as its new executive vice president and creative director. Hunter, who left Burnett after 17 years working on such clients as McDonald’s Corp., Procter & Gamble and Kraft Foods, will focus on expanding the agency’s consumer products business.
In the hunt for Hollinger: As early as Friday, bidders for all or part of Sun-Times parent Hollinger International could find out if they proceed to another round. Lazard LLC, which is conducting the process for Hollinger, is expected to narrow its list to six or eight bidders for the company’s properties, which also include the Daily Southtown and dozens of community papers in Chicago, the London Daily Telegraph and the Jerusalem Post. Bidding for all or part of the properties are USA Today owner Gannett Co.; publishing and real estate magnate Mort Zuckerman as well as a number of private equity groups and publishers in the United Kingdom, including multimillionaire twins David and Frederick Barclay, who failed in a bid to get control of the company earlier this year. A team of investors that includes Rev. Jesse Jackson’s son Yusef Jackson is interested in the Chicago properties.