As creatives, we always look for new avenues where we can try and promote brands. Apparently, that now includes your local newscast at dinnertime. (If anyone is home to actually eat dinner or watch TV at that time.) Not exactly a new concept, placement, excuse me, ‘integrated commercial content’ on morning news shows has been around since before Hank Kingsley, er, Willard Scott pushed Smucker’s jam on the Today show. ABC, NBC and CBS all say they allow no production integration on their morning shows. Hmmm, GMA broadcasting segments from a Norwegian Cruise Line doesn’t count I guess. Newsflash to the big three: if a product is in your show, whether the brand paid for it or not? It’s still placement.Scarier though, is the threat of placement directly into real news stories. All so stations can be competitive and save on production costs. (That’s the justification by stations in the article at least.) Still looks though like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic that is network TV. When’s the last time my loyal audience got their news at 6:00 pm via TV anyway? On the other hand, this might work if more sponsors sign on. In addition to the Kingsford Daily House Fire report, what about a 60-second Shooting Round-up sponsored by Smith & Wesson? Or, an online investment firm for the story on the corrupt city councilman?
(Via Drudge.)
Tags: news, placement
2 comments:
This sounds really scary at first but didn't this happen in the 1950s with game (variety) shows?
Do you mean sponsorship? As I recall, think most everything in the 50's was sponsored, even doctors for cigarette ads.
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