Branded Entertainment News including deal reports, legal documents and advances. http://www.productplacement.biz 2008-05-12T00:39:50+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/images/M_images/ppnlogo.png text/html 2008-04-02T07:46:07+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/200804022303/News/Television/Surreal-Life-Has-A-New-Daddy.html 51 Minds Entertainment, the independent production company behind the major of VH1's biggest hits has been acquired by Endemol USA. As reported today by B C, 51 minds will become an independent studio within Endemol. 51 Minds has been under an exclusive deal with VH1, which has brought the cable network 10 series in the past four years, many of them its biggest hits, including Surreal Life spinoffs Strange Love, My Fair Brady, The Surreal Life Fame Games, Flavor of Love and I Love New York. text/html 2008-04-01T18:38:10+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/200804012302/News/Television/HBO-Has-Buzz-But-Starz-Has-The-Numbers.html Buried within all of the releases of the $25 million Starz rebranding effort was this gem that all media planners should notice: they tied HBO with a 1.0 primetime household rating in February. Starz? Yes Starrz - from which you will be seeing a lot of spots on everything from Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight to spots on The Tonight Show. Starz has made a lot of acquisitions over the last 18 months including IDT Entertainment and Overture Films, which will be developing eight to 12 movies a year. Starz is also launching two scripted comedy series - Hollywood Residential Head Case . text/html 2008-04-01T10:22:25+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/200804012301/News/Television/Product-Placement-Needed-As-Ad-Rates-Drop.html As ads rates have dropped due to the writer's strike, massive integration deals are expected in order for the Networks to improve their bottom line. According to TargetCast tcm (http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san s=79621 Nid=41035 p=918739), the cost of a primetime spot in the first quarter was 12% lower than last year. With most scripted shows gone in January, February and March, ad rates were cut as ratings went down. Here are the rates for a 30-second ad in primetime with percentage change from last year: NBC (GE): $77,893, down 24.7% CBS (CBS): $112,641, down 11.9% ABC (DIS): $122,509, down 9.5% Fox (NWS): $237,237, down 9.2% text/html 2008-04-01T10:13:46+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/200804012300/News/Branded-Entertainment/American-Apparel-Snafu.html In the world of the Product Placement expert - the goal is to get brands integrated with Entertainment properties. On the production side, 'clearances' or approval from brands for being in a shot is a major issue. American Apparel's Snafu - no clearance from Mr. Allen. Last May, they used an image of Woody Allen from a film on billboards in New York and Hollywood without his permission. He is seeking $10,000,000. A copy of the filing can be downloaded here (http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/03312008woodyallen.pdf). text/html 2008-04-01T09:24:06+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/200804012299/News/Television/Product-Placement-Spend-Increases-On-Networks-But-Down-On-Cable.html Nielsen Product Placement Service reported an overall 13% increase in the number of product placement occurrences in prime-time broadcast network programming for 2007. The Top 10 programs featured 25,950 occurrences in 2007, compared with 22,553 occurrences in 2006. American Idol, with 4,349 occurrences, was the #1 show in terms of the number of product placements in 2007; the show held the same position in 2006, when it aired 4,086 brand occurrences. The Top 10 featured brands on prime-time broadcast network television for 2007 accounted for 11,666 occurrences; in comparison, the top ten brands accounted for 10,320 occurrences in 2006. Coca-Cola, primarily through its association with American Idol, was the top brand in both 2206 and 2007, with 3,174 occurrences in the last year. 24 Hour Fitness Centers (1,931 occurrences) and Chef Revival Apparel (1,257 occurrences) round out the top three brands on Broadcast television in 2007. Nielsen Product Placement Service reports an overall decrease of 9% in the number of product placement occurrences in prime-time cable network programming for 2007, based on the cable programs tracked on A E, Bravo, HGTV, MTV, and TLC. The Top 10 programs featured 163,737 occurrences for 2007 -- compared with 206,054 occurrences for 2006. American Chopper, which premiered on TLC in January 2007, was the #1 cable network show in terms of the number of product placements, with 52,503 occurrences. Miami Ink (TLC, 20,594 occurrences) and Dog the Bounty Hunter (A E, 19,179 occurrences) held the second and third positions, respectively. The Top 10 featured brands on prime-time cable network television for 2007 accounted for 43,475 occurrences -- a decrease from 53,530 in 2006. Three apparel categories made the top 10: Orange County Chopper Apparel (the top brand overall with 9,772 occurrences), Nike Apparel (3,002 occurrences), and DeVille (2,557 occurrences). text/html 2008-03-31T07:20:13+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/200803312298/News/Video-Games/Product-Placement-On-Its-Way-to-Xbox.html With 18 million viewers/owners worldwide, the Xbox 360 and the Xbox Live Marketplace are now the size of network and as reported today in the NY Times Microsoft has reached a deal to produce original shows for distribution exclusively on the Xbox 360 console. The deal, which is the 'first of many' was reached with talent manager Peter Safran to produce original shows for distribution exclusively on the Xbox 360 console, some as paid downloads others ad supported. The first shows are expected to be available to viewers by the fall. Details as reported: The first shows will be scripted and less than 10 minutes in length Focus will be on horror, sci-fi and comedy. Xbox 360 audience - ages of 14 to 34, primarily male. The Xbox 360 and the Xbox Live Marketplace are the 2nd most popular video download combination after Apple's iPod and iTunes. text/html 2008-03-30T18:00:43+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/200803302297/News/Product-Placement/Product-Placement-According-to-David-Lynch.html Director David Lynch sat down at the AFI Film Festival to answer some questions and provide insight to his feelings on product placement. We felt it was fitting a year later to visit with David and listen to his comments once again. text/html 2008-03-29T13:22:33+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/200803292294/News/Television/NBC-Cash-Cow-Celeb-Apprentice-Delivers.html This week's 2-hour finale of Trump's Celebrity Apprentice delivered 12.1 million viewers, the largest audience for Trump since Dec. 15, 2005. Silverman and NBC have ordered up 2 cycles of the show, with production to start in September and air in January 2009. How important were these numbers to NBC? Trump's finale provided NBC with its highest 18 - 49 rating in six months. Most important - this was NBC's biggest audience for a non-sports telecast in the time slot in more than 16 months! text/html 2008-03-29T10:48:39+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/200803292293/News/Music/Branded-Entertainment-Disney-Style.html San Antonio based Tomato company NatureSweet, has joined up with Disney for Spring campaign, according to Brandweek. The deal is to promote 'sweet' tomatoes called 'Cherubs' as a healthy snack for kids. It appears to be a combination of a media buy on Radio Disney, coupled with a cross-promotion on Cherubs packaging. According to Brandweek, Consumers who purchase Cherubs will receive a code to download songs from the Disneymania 6 CD at www.cherubsradiodisney.com, in advance of the CD release on May 20. The code will be included on Cherubs' packaging. This move by Disney is a sign that they are not only looking for strategic partners, but also that small players can get into the game. Although NatureSweet is the leading grower of tomatoes in North America, they only spent about $2 million in media - a sign to smaller brands to keep thinking big. text/html 2008-03-28T21:34:41+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/200803282292/News/Internet/Australia-Internet-Time-Surpasses-TV-Watching.html As a sign of what is to come throughout the World, Internet use in Australia surpassed TV watching for the first time by approximately 30 minutes each week (13.7 hours for Internet vs. 13.3 hours for Television). This news comes from , Nielsen Online’s 10th Australian Internet and Technology Report. Internet Penetration Australian internet participation (80%) has also reached saturation levels, Nielsen said, increasing just 1% in the past year. (global penetration is 20%): Broadband connections are now found in 84% of Australian internet users’ homes. (up 10 points in 12 months and up 30 points in two years). Broadband technology penetration will grow to 90% by the end of 2008. Most Australian internet users have home access (92%) and one-third (34%) access the internet from work. Media Consumption Australians are awake for around 112 hours per week, and they spend on average 84.4 hours per week across a range of media and leisure activities, up from 71.4 hours in the previous 12 months. Men spend 2.5 more hours per week online and 1.5 more hours watching television than women. Women spend about an hour more per week reading and 1.6 hours more listening to the radio online. Cross-media consumption is on the rise: More than half (58%) of Australians internet users said they have watched TV while online. 48% of respondents have used the internet while listening to the radio. text/html 2008-03-28T20:21:04+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/200803282291/News/Product-Placement/Product-Placement-Within-Consumer-Content-Zadby-Platform-Launched.html Zadby, Inc. announced that it has launched an online marketplace (www.zadby.com) where advertisers, marketers, and brand managers can connect with freelance video producers to create innovative product placement videos tailored for sites like YouTube, AOL, and MySpace. As traditional spot advertising loses its luster due to time shifting capabilities of digital video recorders like Tivo®, advertisers and brand managers are struggling to find new and innovative ways to reach their target audiences. Two methods getting a lot of attention lately are product placement and user generated video. Product placement is highly effective in movies and on TV but until Zadby, there was no effective way of engaging user generated content while ensuring brand consistency and alignment. Now advertisers can reach their target audience online through Zadby! Zadby provides all the tools, workflows, and legal frameworks to facilitate the creation, review, posting, tracking, and payment for user generated videos with product placement angles. As a pay-per-view model, Zadby is extremely low-risk for brands. Advertisers and brand managers wishing to raise awareness for their brand can commission the development of videos through our online marketplace, says Michael Buttrey, CEO of Zadby. Since Zadby takes care of the administrative pieces, brand managers are free to think about what they do best - stewarding their brand - while online video producers can now earn cash doing what they love, continues Buttrey. Here's how it works: Brand managers start by defining a Commission, which defines what they hope to accomplish with a video or set of videos. A Commission defines the product being placed, the goals and objectives, as well as any other restrictions or suggestions for the video. Once the commission is posted on Zadby, freelance video producers from around the globe can browse and select the Commissions they want to develop videos for. Producers develop the video and submit it for review by Zadby and then by the brand. Once the video is approved and goes live, Zadby tracks the response, aggregates view information, and calculates fees due to the producer. Zadby presents us with an intriguing, innovative way to enhance Polk Audio's brand marketing, says Dan Hodgson, Polk's Senior VP of Marketing. With Zadby, we have a unique, low-risk way to test the effectiveness of this new medium. As part of the kickoff, Zadby is partnering with Polk Audio to raffle a new Polk Audio I-Sonic® Entertainment System 2. The I-Sonic® ES2 features the same acoustic technologies that made the original Polk I-Sonic® the best sounding table top music system available and now includes a second generation HD Radio tuner with full multicasting. The I-Sonic ES2 accepts all iPod models with dock connectors in its topmounted dock, hidden beneath a sliding door. The I-Sonic® ES2 is the world's first radio with Apple® iTunes Tagging, which allows consumers to tag, preview and buy songs they hear on HD Radio stations. Freelance video producers who sign up with Zadby through March 30th and enter the promotional code of I-Sonic will be entered to win. text/html 2008-03-28T20:20:11+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/200803282290/News/Branded-Entertainment/Boston-University-School-of-Management-To-Hold-Panel-on-Branded-Entertainment.html The Boston University School of Management will present a panel discussion on Branded Entertainment on Monday, March 31st at 4:30 PM in Room 412. The title of the discussion is Branded Entertainment: When the Brand Becomes the Content . Today’s consumers are driven to apathy by a constant bombardment of traditionally- and digitally-delivered marketing messages. Managers looking to connect with customers must find new ways to ensure that their messages are heard and that their brands resonate. Enter Branded Entertainment: when the brand becomes the cultural content that is meant to inspire, entertain, and inform. Come and hear industry leaders share their front-line experiences concerning the emergent revolution that is shaping how we do brand marketing today. Mark Hughes, President and CEO, Buzzmarketing™ In his award-winning guide, Buzzmarketing: Get People to Talk about Your Stuff, Mark laid out the six secrets of building buzz that sparked a global movement toward grassroots marketing and provided a foundation for his firm. Mark boasts a notable marketing career at Pep Boys, XM Satellite Radio, Pizza Hut, and eBay’s Half.com, where he crafted one of the greatest publicity coups in history” according to Time magazine by convincing Halfway, Oregon to rename itself to Half.com. Jeff Greenfield, Executive Vice President and Principal, Buzznation™ At Buzznation™, Jeff helps clients unite a three-pronged strategy of Branded Content, Internet, and Buzzmarketing to build cultural momentum around their brands. Jeff was heavily involved in the development of the branded entertainment industry and stands as one of the top experts in the field today. He is publisher of Product Placement News, former publisher of Branded Entertainment Monthly, and a featured speaker in The Next Big Idea. Jeff has always believed in leveraging the power of entertainment with technology to build brands, and launched initiatives for GlaxoSmithKline and Forest Industries, among others. John Verret, Associate Professor of Advertising, Boston University John is an award-winning professor in the BU College of Communications and Adweek Advertising Executive of the Year. He previously held the positions of President of the Ad Club and the New England Broadcast Association, and Vice Chairman, President, CEO, and Executive Vice President COO for Arnold Communications, where he was a partner and co-owner. Baba Shetty, Chief Media Officer, Hill Holliday At Hill Holliday, Baba oversees the work of connecting consumers with brand ideas and coordinates media across channels, branded entertainment venues, and digital marketing capabilities. Baba spent a decade in client-side marketing, including seven years at BMW North America where he was a member of the team responsible for the Z3 GoldenEye launch and the inception of the BMW Films project. Prior to Hill Holliday, Baba led interactive marketing at Fallon Worldwide and was research director at Forrester Research. Susan Fournier, Associate Professor of Marketing, BU School of Management Susan is a leading expert in branding with particular interests in cultural strategies that embed the objects of consumption into the fabrics of consumers’ lives. Susan serves on the Board of Advisors for Harley Owner's Group and the COO's Council for Irving Oil. She was a professor at Dartmouth’s Tuck School and the Harvard Business School and a VP in advertising. Susan has received numerous best article awards for her research and is the author of nearly thirty best-selling Harvard Business School cases on branding. text/html 2008-03-28T20:18:53+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/200803282289/News/Internet/Product-Placement-Google-Style-Ads-Within-Search-Results.html The best place a brand would ever want to be is right in front of the consumer when they are searching for something they sell. That of course is the advantage of contextual advertising and the huge growth of the Pay-Per-Click advertising world. Now enter video in the world of search advertising and you have pseudo product placement - but it's 'Google Style'. According to Click Z (http://blog.clickz.com/080326-150541.html), word has been out for about a month on Google's plans to test video ads within SERPS, but no one has actually seen them until this week. If you do a search on the word 'intel (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en q=intel)' you will notice a + sign under the pay-per-click ad which states 'Watch Testimonial' Clicking on this new feature results in a video screen appearing and you are able to view the ad as seen below. Intel is testing this new form of advertising and their ads can also be seen on the keyword laptop. text/html 2008-03-28T20:16:49+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/200803282288/News/Internet/Brands-Spending-Big-in-2008-on-Alternative-Strategies.html Spending on alternative media jumped 22.0% to $73.43 billion in 2007 and is expected to continue its rapid ascension in 2008 despite a slowing economy, as brand marketers scramble to stay in step with a rapidly changing media landscape, according to research released today by PQ Media (www.pqmedia.com (http://www.pqmedia.com/)), the leading provider of media econometrics. Alternative media spending grew at a compound annual rate of 21.7% from 2002 to 2007, as brand marketers increasingly turned to alternative advertising and marketing strategies to offset challenges posed by new technology, changing consumer behaviors, media fragmentation and multitasking, and growing demand for improved return-on-investment metrics, according to the PQ Media Alternative Media Forecast: 2008-2012 (http://www.pqmedia.com/alternative-media-forecast-2008.html (http://www.pqmedia.com/alternative-media-forecast-2008.html)). Alternative media, including 18 digital and non-traditional media segments, accounted for 16.1% of total advertising and marketing spending in 2007, up from only 7.9% in 2002. PQ Media expects the momentum to continue in 2008 and through the rest of the decade as brand marketers seek new ways to deal with the evolving media landscape. Total spending on alternative media is forecast to grow 20.2% to $88.24 billion in 2008 and post compound annual growth of 17.0% in the 2007-2012 period, reaching $160.82 billion, according to the PQ Media Alternative Media Forecast: 2008-2012, the first source ever to define, structure, size and forecast the direction of the comprehensive digital and alternative media sector. Alternative media is forecast to represent 26.6% of total U.S. advertising and marketing spending in 2012. “By 2012, we anticipate one out of every four dollars spent on advertising and marketing will be earmarked for alternative media,” said Patrick Quinn, President and CEO of PQ Media. “Alternative advertising and marketing media are driving a new media order that presents vast opportunities for industry stakeholders, but also key challenges for some of the fastest-growing digital media segments. Technological advances have led to critical changes in consumer behaviors and media usage patterns, which have pushed the advertising and marketing ecosystems into a seminal period of transition. Driven by these market forces, brand marketers are seeking new strategies to connect with consumers through engaging means in captive locations, while at the same time providing proof-of-performance metrics. This confluence of trends is fueling the migration of dollars to alternative media.” While all 18 segments of PQ Media’s Alternative Media Matrix™ – including 12 alternative advertising segments and six alternative marketing segments – posted double-digit growth in 2007, 12 of the 18 segments grew faster than 20% for the year. These same 12 segments are projected to drive growth over the next five years, including in order of projected growth: consumer-generated media, mobile advertising, videogame advertising, online video advertising, word-of-mouth marketing, advergaming webisodes, product placement, search lead generation advertising, and digital out-of home media. The largest alternative media segments in 2007 were event sponsorships marketing, search lead generation, e-direct marketing, online classifieds displays, local pay TV, and product placement, according to the PQ Media Alternative Media Forecast 2008-2012. Spending highlights and key trends impacting each major sector and related segments of alternative media include: Spending on alternative advertising, including online mobile advertising and entertainment digital out-of-home advertising, climbed 25.8% to $39.22 billion in 2007, and grew at a CAGR of 26.2% in the 2002-2007 period. Alternative advertising represented 17.7% of overall ad spend in 2007, up from a 7.0% share in 2002. Spending on online mobile advertising, including search lead generation, online classifieds displays, e-media, online video rich media, internet yellow pages, consumer-generated ads, and mobile advertising, rose 29.1% to $29.94 billion in 2007, and increased at a CAGR of 31.4% in the 2002-2007 period. Growth was driven by brand marketers shifting budgets out of traditional advertising to reach key demographics that have increased online and mobile usage due to improvements in online and wireless technology, particularly with wider adoption of broadband access. Spending on entertainment digital out-of-home (OOH) advertising, including local pay TV, digital out-of-home media, video-on-demand (VOD), interactive TV (ITV), and digital video recorder (DVR) advertising, videogame home video advertising, and satellite radio advertising, rose 16.2% to $9.28 billion in 2007, and climbed at a CAGR of 15.0% from 2002 to 2007. Spending was fueled by new ad insertion technologies, the pursuit of new ad platforms that reach young audiences; and the steady growth of local pay TV, satellite radio, and DVRs, subscribers. Spending on alternative marketing, including branded entertainment and interactive marketing, rose 17.9% to $34.21 billion in 2007, and posted a CAGR of 17.5% in the 2002-2007 period. Alternative marketing represented 14.5% of total marketing spend in 2007, up from 8.7% in 2002. Spending on branded entertainment marketing, including event sponsorship marketing, paid product placement, and advergaming webisodes, rose 14.7% to $22.30 billion in 2007, and climbed at a CAGR of 13.4% from 2002 to 2007. Growth was driven by deployment of media strategies aimed at being more interactive and entertaining than traditional media, as well as to engage target audiences in locations that are not impacted by ad-skipping technology. Spending on interactive marketing, including e-direct marketing, word-of-mouth marketing, and e-custom publishing, rose 24.4% to $11.91 billion in 2007, and climbed at a CAGR of 28.6% from 2002 to 2007. Spending was driven by strong gains in segments that reach affluent and influential consumers with focused messages that are either opted-in to or come from very trusted sources. text/html 2008-03-28T20:15:39+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/200803282287/News/Branded-Entertainment/Branded-Entertainment-Saw-Major-Growth-in-2007.html Spending on branded entertainment marketing grew 14.7% to an all-time high of $22.3 billion in 2007, nearly doubling in size over the last five years as brand marketers continue to shift budgets from traditional advertising to alternative marketing strategies, according to research released by PQ Media (www.pqmedia.com), the leading provider of alternative media econometrics. Branded entertainment marketing is projected to expand another 13.9% in 2008 to $25.41 billion, despite slowing overall economic growth owing to brand marketers seeking strategies and media that engage youth and influential demographics, provide return-on-investment metrics and an influx of record political campaign spending on alternative media in this contentious election year, according to the PQ Media Branded Entertainment Marketing Forecast: 2008-2012 (http://www.pqmedia.com/branded-entertainment-marketing-2008.html) Even without an economic slowdown, there are strong secular trends driving investment from traditional advertising media to alternative marketing strategies, said Patrick Quinn, President CEO of PQ Media. Americans are spending more time outside their homes, online at work, communicating via wireless devices and multitasking with various media, which has created a generation of elusive consumers for brand marketers to try to reach. And these trends have led to increased investment in alternative marketing tactics. Branded entertainment refers to marketing strategies that integrate products into entertainment venues that typically provide high engagement and interactivity. Branded entertainment marketing includes three major segments: event sponsorship and marketing; product placement; and advergaming and webisodes. No longer confined to just TV and film, branded entertainment marketing represented approximately 8 cents of every marketing services dollar spent in 2007, according to PQ Media. Key trends impacting each segment of branded entertainment include: Spending on event sponsorship and marketing, the largest segment of branded entertainment, rose 12.2% to $19.18 billion in 2007, as companies invested in marketing campaigns designed to create powerful and lasting brand impressions and experiences among consumers. Event sponsorship and event marketing attract new customers by using face-to-face engagement, which is lacking in many traditional advertising and marketing strategies; Paid product placement spending grew 33.7% to $2.90 billion in 2007, and at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 40.8% from 2002 to 2007. Higher DVR penetration combined with increased TV program product integration helped drive paid product placement spending, Quinn said. Spending on advergaming and webisodes increased 34.8% to $217.0 million in 2007, fueled by efforts among marketers to reach the elusive 18- to 34-year-old demographic, which is watching less television and spending more time on the internet playing videogames and downloading videos. Advergaming and webisodes, while the smallest branded entertainment segment, is the fastest growing, climbing at a 51.7% CAGR from 2002 to 2007. While remaining strong, branded entertainment spending growth is projected to decelerate slightly in 2009 due to decelerating economic growth, maturing markets and the absence of cyclical spending infusions, such as political campaigns. Branded entertainment is expected to grow at a double-digit pace in 2008, driven by nearly $9 billion in event marketing spend, robust product placement spending, particularly on reality programming, at $3.5 billion, up nearly 25%, and growth in webisodes of 46%, as major networks begin to produce full-length online episodes in an effort to tap the coveted youth market. The outlook for branded entertainment marketing through 2012 is for double-digit growth overall, despite slower economic expansion in the period. The sector is projected to grow at a 12.8% CAGR from 2007 to 2012, exceeding $40 billion. A free report summary of the PQ Media Branded Entertainment Marketing Forecast 2008-2012 along with methodology is available for download at (http://www.pqmedia.com/branded-entertainment-marketing-2008.html) text/html 2007-11-07T01:00:00+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/news/television/product-placement-and-the-wga-strike---where-will-the-money-flow-20071107-2286-92.html If content is truly king, then advertisers will certainly be looking elsewhere to spend their marketing dollars. At a time when the networks are already losing viewers to cable, DVDs and the Internet, the WGA strike is forcing viewers to look elsewhere for content and the fear is that many viewers may never come back. But the networks are not willing to give up that easily. As expected, shows that are scripted daily (David Letterman, Colbert Report, etc.) are immediately going to reruns, but according to TVtracker.com (http://www.tvtracker.com/) it appears as the networks have been preparing for the strike by increasing the number of pilot and series orders. With additional content, the networks will be able to continue the flow of advertising - at least thru January 2008. The following is a network-by-network roundup of broadcast scripted pilot and series orders so far. Also included are previously announced alternative series orders and midseason replacement series. ABC shows not yet aired this season: ACCORDING TO JIM (comedy) CASHMERE MAFIA (drama) DANCE WAR: BRUNO VS. CARRIE ANN (alt) DUEL (alt) ELI STONE (drama) SUPERNANNY (alt) WIFE SWAP (alt) LOST (drama) MISS/GUIDED (comedy) OPRAH'S BIG GIVE (alt) WANNA BET (alt) CBS shows not yet aired this season: AMAZING RACE 12 (alt) THE CAPTAIN (comedy) JERICHO (drama) JINGLES (alt) MILLION DOLLAR PASSWORD (alt) THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE (comedy) SURVIVOR 16 (alt) SWINGTOWN (drama) The CW shows not yet aired this season: CROWNED: THE MOTHER OF ALL PAGEANTS (alt) EIGHT DAYS A WEEK (comedy) FARMER WANTS A WIFE (alt) ONE TREE HILL (drama) PUSSYCAT DOLLS PRESENT: THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT DOLL 2 (alt) FOX shows not yet aired this season: 24 (drama) AMERICAN IDOL 7 (alt) CANTERBURY'S LAW (drama) HELL'S KITCHEN 4 (alt) KITCHEN NIGHTMARES 2 (alt) NEW AMSTERDAM (drama) NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (alt) RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES, THE (comedy) TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES (drama) UNHITCHED (comedy) NBC shows not yet aired this season: 1 VS 100 (alt) AMERICAN GLADIATORS (alt) AMNESIA (alt) THE APPRENTICE 7 (alt) CLASH OF THE CHOIRS (alt) IT CROWD (comedy) MY DAD IS BETTER THAN YOUR DAD (alt) WORLD MOVES (alt) text/html 2007-10-23T10:40:39+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/news/television/super-bowl-product-placement---introfee-solicits-birth-videos-for-ad-20071023-2285-92.html As reported today in MediaPost (http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticle art_aid=69647 art_type=11), Introfee (http://www.introfee.com) is Offering a $1000 Bounty for Clear Video Footage of a Live Baby Birth to Use in Its Ad, Announcing the Birth of Its Website Service on Feb 3. The company estimates there are 5 million birth videos sitting unused on American shelves since the advent of camcorders (according to the CDC, there are approximately 14 million U.S. births per year). After searching for stock footage without satisfaction, the company will pay $1000 to the selected birth video used in its Super Bowl ad. To be considered, birth videos must show clear baby emergence plus footage of umbilical cord . To participate in the call for footage, birth videos should be uploaded to any video hosting service (YouTube, Veoh, etc), tag the video with 'introfee' and submit that web link from: http://www.introfee.com/birth-video (http://www.introfee.com/birth-video). Introfee will be available for closed-invitation beta December 17, and will officially birth February 3, 2008. Birth video submissions must be made before November 14, 12 midnight Pacific Standard Time. Submissions can be made by anyone in the world, as introfee will be a global service February, 3, 2008. However, submissions must be made by those over eighteen years of age. text/html 2007-10-17T18:32:05+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/news/internet/dalai-lama-product-placement---new-startup-pins-hopes-on-7-minute-meeting-20071017-2284-92.html Beginning in Hope, Indiana October 17, two youths begin their 7 day and 7 night journey in hopes of a 7 minute meeting with the Dalai Lama for their fledgling inspirational text message service, I Live Inspired. Their route continues from Hope to Buddha (Indiana) end in Bloomington's Tibetan Cultural Center October 24, with hope of securing a seven minute meeting with the Dalai Lama. The two youths created an inspirational text message service with daily messages inspiring recovery from cancer, becoming better parents, or reducing everyday stress. The start-up currently has 12 categories of daily text messages, including one category written by Washington Post syndicated columnist, Marguerite Kelly We're hoping to create our next category--daily inspirational text messages from the Dalai Lama, said co-founder Rob Foster. Co-founder Chris Deutsch added, We have no money to speak of, but we do have a service that might change the world. We knew it would be tough for two guys nobody's heard of to meet with the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet, so we just decided to walk. 7 Days, 7 Nights, and maybe he'll give us 7 minutes for a meeting. In their hopeful meeting, Rob and Chris will propose 75 percent of the money from His Holiness' category in I Live Inspired go to a charity of the Dalai's choosing. The two youths can be found en-route from Hope, Indiana to Buddha, Indiana to Bloomington, Indiana's Tibetan Cultural Center from October 17th to October 24th or can be found updating their 100 mile adventure daily at http://www.iliveinspired.com/blog/ or email them directly to their mobile devices from http://www.iliveinspired.com/contact.jsp text/html 2007-08-09T10:35:39+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/news/television/espn-wins-big-with-beckham-20070809-2283-92.html David Beckham's debut with the Los Angeles Galaxy on July 21st was a huge win to not only the team, but also ESPN. The game averaged 1.5 million viewers, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. This makes it the most watched Major League Soccer event in the history of ESPN and ESPN2. Most importantly, it was the most watched program for men 18-49 and 25-54. text/html 2007-08-07T10:22:55+01:00 http://www.productplacement.biz http://www.productplacement.biz/news/branded-entertainment/mcdonalds-study-proves-the-power-of-tv-advertising-20070807-2282-92.html According to the latest study on the effects of branding on young children published in the August issue of the Archives of Pediatrics Adolescent Medicine: Most 3- and 5-year-olds who taste-tested a variety of foods said they preferred the ones in the McDonald's wrapper -- even though the foods were exactly the same. The study was had 63 children, ages 3 and 5, sample five foods: chicken nuggets, a hamburger, french fries (from McDonalds), baby carrots and milk (from a grocery store). Each food item was divided into two portions: one wrapped in a McDonald's wrapper or placed in a McDonald's bag and the other in a wrapper without the McDonald's logo. After taste-testing, the children more often said the chicken nuggets, fries, carrots and milk wrapped in the McDonald's logo tasted better, even though the foods were exactly the same. Additional interesting findings: One-third of the children ate at McDonald's more than once a week; Three-quarters had McDonald's toys at home; An average of 2.4 televisions in their homes; More than 50% had a TV in their bedrooms. McDonald's spends more than $1 billion dollars per year on U.S. advertising.