Since a rapidly increasing part of the American public refuses to sit still for ads anymore, companies are looking for new ways to break through and stamp their “impressions” on us.
One of those “new” ways, according to the NY Times, is for companies to produce their own programming.
Marketers have found a new way to try to keep viewers from tuning out: offer them TV shows, movies and online programming created by the marketers themselves, often with help from their advertising agencies.
These new offerings, the marketers hope, will be entertaining enough to endear viewers to the brands behind them.
I guess no one who worked on this story is older than 40 or understands the origins of the term “soap opera”.
Many of the early daytime dramas were produced by the makers of laundry products thus giving them that nickname.
Even up into the 70’s there were a variety of prime time shows that came with the label of some corporation. Very often their products were prominently featured and the content approved by company executives.
The various incarnations of the Disney shows were little more than commercials for their projects.
While the current productions are somewhat less blatant, the fact that corporations are involved with creating entertainment as a way to push their products is hardly something new.
However, whatever the quality of these programs, I doubt a movie featuring that creepy king from the Burger King ads will “endear” anything to anyone.