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Google Launches Poptub: "Entertainment Tonight" for the YouTube Generation

Google has launched a video series on YouTube called Poptub as an "Entertainment Tonight" for the YouTube generation.

C|Net's calling it a"brief video show called Poptub with perky hosts, amusing videos, promotional interviews, and a prominent Pepsi sponsorship."

Google will distribute Poptub on its Google Content Network that provides reach to hundreds of thousands of Web sites beyond YouTube.

From Adweek:

After a month in operation, Poptub has more than 100 content segments produced, with several released each day. The programming mix ranges from cheeky interviews with YouTube-bred sensations such as Obama Girl and What the Buck host Michael Buckley to more conventional red-carpet coverage of Hollywood releases including Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. There's also a weekly ratings report that ticks down the top draws on YouTube.

Poptub is something of a reconstituted version of The 9, a daily Web series Embassy Row produced that Yahoo! hosted exclusively until canceling it in April after a successful 18-month run. Leftovers from 9 include sponsor Pepsi and on-air host Maria Sansone, but Poptub differs from its predecessor in one crucial regard: Its coverage of pop culture is heavily weighted in favor of the homegrown personalities popular on YouTube rather than the typical Hollywood household names.

Denny's Rockstar Menu Promo

I'm a sucker for innovative promotions. And Denny's got a good one.

Denny's has launched a branded entertainment music-based promotion. The casual dining restaurant chain says it has 98% brand awareness, but needs to translate awareness to usage. Their recent promotion encourages brand engagement with  a "chef for a day" promotion.

The first step of the promotion is to offer free meals to starving musical artists (literally and figuratively), the invites them back into the kitchen--not to sing for their supper, but to cook for it. Then their culinary creations are added to a "Rockstar Menu" and featured on their website.

 

BMW's Mocumentary “Rampenfest”--a hoax without a punchline

There has been a fair amount of publicity around BMW's mockumentary for it's 1-series coupe. The publicity, of course, is the whole point.

However, much of the buzz has been around BMW's denial that they were the ones that created the video. Now, there is one thing to send an ad out there without any branding, and to try to feed the audience a little  with a little intrigue (it's called "murketing") but it another thing entirely when you're caught, and you deny the claim that you've produced the video.

The whole idea is to give up the choke, and admit you've produced it, right?

"We've been caught. Ha. Ha."

It is another example of marketers trying to pretend their smarter, when they really aren't.

Here's the background, for those who've yet to see the video.

BMW and its agency GSD&M produces a half-hour mockumentary called “Rampenfest.” The story line centers around a Bavarian’s town attempt to launch a new BMW 1 Series, via ramp, from Germany to the United States. They created a Web site for the fictional events planner, Franz Brendl, and the fictional Bavarian town of Oberpfaffelbachen. Several characters, including the faux film maker, got their own Facebook profiles.”

Most viewers (OK probably all) immediately realized it was a hoax, but hoaxes can be entertaining, as this video is. The car company, however, refused to acknowledge it was behind the project.

Now, the Wall Street Journal issued a postmortem on the stunt, which argues BMW could’ve faced significant backlash for its unconventional – though, these days, all too conventional – attempt at reaching younger consumers, by refusing to own the spots when they were found out.

UK Culture Minister Doesn't Want Product Placement On His Shores

The British have a much stronger line between commercial advertising and product placement. In general, marketers can only "buy the space between the programmes on commercial channels, but not the space within them" said Andy Burnham, the new culture minister as he recently warned UK broadcasters.

Just to give you an idea of how far this goes, "American Idol" recently aired in the UK, but had the iconic (in the States) Coke-branded glass in front of each of the judges blurred so that the branding could not be seen.

Recently speaking at a meeting of the Convergence Think Tank, set up by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, UK cultural minitster Burnham made it clear that he does not back moves to introduce US-style product placement into commercial British broadcasting.

According to Brand Republic, he said that it was the high standards in British broadcasting that made it valued, and that there was a "powerful economic argument" in support of maintaining these standards.

Burnham's comments come ahead of a consultation to be held in the summer, looking at whether the ban on product placement should be lifted. This has been brought about by the introduction of the European Union's Audiovisual Media Services directive.

Macy's Launches Branded Entertainment Series, "Ragged Road"

Macy's, in conjunction with WPP Group's MEC Entertainment, this fall will debut "Ragged Road," an online, branded entertainment documentary series about five wannabes trying to make it in the music business. The series, which will air on YouTube, is meant to promote Macy's American Rag brand to the 18- to 24-year-old buyer.

From Adweek:

Nancy Slavin, svp of marketing at Macy's merchandising group, said this marks a first for the brand in "doing something wholly dedicated to a communications strategy on the Web."

Slavin noted that the Web series is highly measurable and that the brand will be monitoring YouTube closely to see who is watching and to see how viral Ragged Road becomes. She added that there are other places Macy's plans to buy media, though further details were unavailable.

Starcom Re-launches Branded Entertainment Arm as "The Bridge"

Starcom MediaVest Group has relaunched its branded content group as "The Bridge."

Originally called "Starcom Entertainment" when the Chicago-based agency launched it in 1998, the re-named agency has plans to expand beyond being the branded entertainment arm for existing Starcom clients. The Bridge will be focusing on Asian clients.

The unit aims to be "Asia's most imaginative entertainment marketing offering" with expertise in product placement, celebrity endorsement and advertiser funded programming. The goal of the agency is to provide the asian marketplace with a ready database of talent and partners

Shanghai and Mumbai will serve as the North and South Asia hubs for The Bridge. The Singapore office will be the Southeast Asia hub.

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Mercedes-Benz Trying To Be Hip?

Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz has launched a monthly music show -- on its own online TV station. The show, which features music videos from artists including Jennifer Lopez and Mark Ronson, is intended to build the Mercedes-Benz brand. The Wall Street Journal says "The show is an attempt to reach out to youngsters with interests "beyond cars," Mercedes-Benz says. By focusing on promoting music rather than its S-Class luxury sedan, the company hopes to draw the "customers of tomorrow" and get them to associate the Mercedes-Benz brand with being hip."

"Sex and The City" Movie--A Product Placement Bonanza

James Bond movies are famous for their product placement. Casino Royale felt almost like a 144 minute Sony commercial, with Sony Vaio laptops used to help save the world, calls made on Sony Ericsson phones and the use of Sony's Blu-Ray technology. Oh, just in case you were wondering, the film was produced by Sony Corporation.

And it seems that the new 'Sex and the City' movie is taking a page from 007's code book as it promotes brands including Mercedes-Benz, Coty fragrances and Skyy vodka.

The New York Times reports that a total of eight brands have signed up, including the jeweller H Stern; Glaceau Vitaminwater, a Coca-Cola brand; and Bag Borrow or Steal, an online service for renting designer handbags and jewelry.

Some brands will be highlighted in dialogue while others will be seen on screen. Sponsors will be allowed to use 'Sex and the City' tie-ins for competitions, in advertising and other marketing efforts.

Chris Carlisle, who is president of marketing at the film's distributor New Line Cinema has dubbed the movie as "the Super Bowl for women" in reference to America's premium sporting event and its ability to attract hundreds of millions of dollars worth of advertising.

Carlisle told the New York Times: "So we want to align only with those brand that make sense, that match up with the 'Sex and the City' brand and extend our footprint, not duplicate it."

Product Placement Really Can Work, Especially When The Consumer Is Brought In On The Joke

Here at 5 Blogs, we love product placements. Especially when they're a little too obvious, and allow us in on the joke. Afterall, most consumers are far too aware of marketing tricks to fall for just about anything. Aren't they?

In the November 15 episode of NBC's "30 Rock," Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey, in their roles as Jack Donaghy and Liz Lemon, sang the praises of Verizon Wireless before Fey looked right into the camera and asked, "Can we have our money now?".

This followed an earlier episode prominently featuring Snapple drinks, as the characters discussed, with disgust, their hatred of product placement on their fictional TV show. The dialogue included lines like "I only date guys who drink Snapple" and ended with Donaghy saying, "Yes, everyone loves Snapple. Lord knows I do." There was even a guy in a Snapple suit who walked out of the elevator asking for the human resources department.

The folks at Verizon seem to get that it is OK to let consumers in on the fact that marketing is marketing, and it does pay the bills for broadcast (and cable) television.

"We want an integration to be as organic and natural to a show as it can be," Lou Rossi, director of media and sponsorships at Verizon Wireless said. "Certainly with the '30 Rock' humor and writing, this type of integration just works well for them and for Verizon Wireless as well." NBC declined comment on the financial terms of the deal.

Where Do Celebrity Gossip And Salad Dressing Collide? When Mark McGrath, Tim Gunn and Fabio Hawk for Wish-Bone And Butter Spray

Unilever has launched a new animated Web series to promote its I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! and Wish-Bone spray brands.

"Sprays in the City" is a five-episode, animated Web series tells the story of Spritzy, the "feisty" Wish-Bone salad dressing spritzer, and Spraychel, the "captivating" I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! spray.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

"In an increasingly fragmented media landscape, we must find new and unique ways to reach our consumer," Unilever vp and GM Mike Bauer said. "It's important to be innovative in the digital age. These two brands are joining forces to not only engage consumers but entertain them and keep them tuned in."

The series, features Mark McGrath ("Extra"), Tim Gunn ("Project Runway") and Fabio, is being marketed through TV spots on Bravo, VH1 and E! and print ads in People, In Touch, Star, US Weekly and TV Guide.