New Advertising Trend: Ads within ads
I’ve written a lot about advertising trends this year: fake infomercials, product displacement, product placement jokes, brands with authentic (and inauthentic) voices to name a few. Here’s a new one – product placement, in other brand’s commercials.
First I saw this Geico ad featuring their familiar Gecko that has an ad for the Disney movie The Frog Prince inside it:
Interesting. Then I see this ESPN – This is Sportscenter ad:
Wow, that’s a pretty blatant Gatorade plug.
Here’s how I read this: As product placement in shows becomes more common it’s becoming more expensive for brands. It’s also become less authentic and consumers are becoming desensitized. They know you’ve paid to be jammed into the show. Your own ads, even with your own product placements in them are being ignored thanks to Tivo, so where can you insert your brand? Inside somebody elses ad! But not just anybody elses commercials, you have to find ones that people don’t skip over. I couldn’t find research data, though I’m sure it exists (help me out here TiVo), that would show that ESPN and Geico ads are watched more than the average commercial.
The Gatorade placement makes sense within that context. For me the Disney Frog Prince is a little bit of a stretch – ok, a frog talking to a gecko, I get it. I think this is different than the ‘Icons’ MasterCard Priceless ad from a few years back:
The intent with this one is different. This is more of a partnership, or even an homage. Though it does raises an interesting question: Did ESPN approach Gatorade or did Bolt’s people say, “If you want Usain, you have to include Gatorade”?
Who is making this deal happen? Is Gatorade (through their ad agency) looking for opportunities to be integrated into relevant ads? Is it Bolt’s agent? This is a whole new area and you can see where the smart and fast are going to figure out how to work this to their (financial) advantage.
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Rick,
Having worked in the media buying world for TV I can tell you this is very deliberate and the sharing of costs is carefully planned. Often, the vendor will act as mediator and help bridge the responsibility that all parties (agencies + brands) will bring to the table.
There is definitely a financial advantage to this as you get 2 brands in the cost of one spot BUT the downfall is that the process is much harder because you’re doubling the cooks in the kitchen.
Good insight, thanks as always for your contributions Len.