OgilvyEntertainment Press Review is a collection of the latest client, branded entertainment, and industry news.

Read Making magic, using logic: the Ogilvy Branded Entertainment Assessment Model^TM.

BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT

 Starz Tries Out Transmedia With Spartacus AdWeek 11.29.12 Ahead of its final season of flagship show Spartacus, Starz is trying something new: a vast suite of second-screen applications called The Battle for Nuceria—social-media based mini-games, content starring the show’s actors, and “missions” that take the player all over the show’s ancient-world setting. But it’s the show’s final season. “I think, one, regardless of it being the last season, we want to reward the fans,” said Kelly Bumann, svp of digital marketing for the network.

Porsche’s Shows Off New Experience Center The Detroit Bureau 11.28.12 Think having the chance to drive your new sports car on a closed test track and handling course might be enough to close the deal? Porsche thinks so. At the groundbreaking for its new North American headquarters in Atlanta, the automaker announced that the 26.4-acre campus would include a 1.6-mile test track where dealers will be able to bring customers to experience the full capabilities of the company’s cars.

Beneful Launches Playful Online Videos Media Post Publications 11.26.12 An online video series for Beneful aims to bring the joy of play to everyone and remind them how play can transform the everyday. The three original videos, with the theme “Random Acts of Play,” were created by Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide and launched earlier this month on YouTube.

ADVERTISING

In-Game Advertising Still Not Drawing Ad Budgets Click Z 11.29.12 The banner ad is dead, say digital marketing pundits, so what’s a better way for brands to reach consumers? Integrating ads into online games and allowing users who view the ad to win points or other rewards in the game, is an increasingly attractive way for consumers to engage with advertising. Yet advertising budgets are far from reflecting this market’s potential, according to a panel of gaming and ad industry executives who gathered at New York watering hole SideBar to discuss in-game advertising.

Coke’s Christmas Spot Features Giant Santa Puppet Media Post Publications 11.27.12 This year’s Christmas TV ad from Coca-Cola focuses primarily on a giant Santa Claus marionette – something of a departure from recent years’ ads (like 2010’s “Snow Globes” and last year’s “Shake Up Christmas” spots), which stuck with human personifications of Santa.

It’s the age of Reverse Product Placement: Fictional items from The Office go on sale Independent 11.26.12 The media giant NBC- Universal broke US ad-sale records for its Olympic programming this year. But, as more people skip ad breaks, television shows must do all they can to make money. Product placement has long been a fixture of American TV, with some shows working real-life products into scripts without too much damage to reputations.

ENTERTAINMENT

As It Nears the End, Lessons From ’30 Rock’ AdAge 11.29.12 When Liz Lemon gets married in tonight’s episode of “30 Rock” on NBC, she won’t have much time to enjoy it. Why? Because she’s ushering in a major new plot development that, sadly, also marks the beginning of the end for the offbeat sitcom.

Neil Patrick Harris Brings His ‘Puppet Dreams’ to YouTube Mashable 11.27.12 People often have dreams where they interact with celebrities — but who do the stars dream of? For Neil Patrick Harris, it’s puppets. The actor’s web series Puppet Dreams debuts Tuesday on the Nerdist Channel. The seven-part show features Harris in various dream scenarios, surrounded by puppets.

IBM’s Computers Try to Understand Twihards’ Emotions The Hollywood Reporter 11.26.12 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn- Part 2 was not only the highest grossing film this Thanksgiving weekend, it also generated the most number of tweets. According to a study conducted by USC Annenberg and IBM of over 5 million movie-related tweets in the 11 days leading up to and through the Thanksgiving weekend, the film grabbed the lion’s share with 4.25 million tweets, far surpassing the second biggest tweet-generating film — Skyfall with 700,000 tweets.

MEDIA & TECH

New York Times Stirs Controversy for Social Media Monitoring AdWeek 11.29.12 The growing pains continue for legacy media in its ongoing adaptation to the digital era. After coming under fire for a few ill-advised social media postings, The New York Times Jerusalem bureau chief Jodi Rudoren has been assigned an editor “to work closely with Ms. Rudoren on her social media posts,” according to a post by Timespublic editor Margaret Sullivan.

OTT Video Views Explode On Multiple Screens Media Post Publications 11.28.12 Dividing the country down the middle, half of U.S. consumers now view over-the-top (OTT) video through broadband connections on their TVs, in addition to the content they traditionally watch via cable or satellite. Consumers are also viewing content on mobile devices, creating video playlists, posting videos on social media, and learning about new TV programs and video offerings through social networks, the consulting firm found.

NYC’s Two-Way Touch-Screen Public Phones Ready for Emergencies, Advertisers brandchannel 11.23.12 One very small silver lining in the wake of Super Storm Sand on the Big Apple: public phone booths are being reimagined anew in a public-private partnership between New York City and two companies, Cisco and City 24/7.

OgilvyEntertainment Press Review is a collection of the latest client, branded entertainment, and industry news.

Read Making magic, using logic: the Ogilvy Branded Entertainment Assessment Model^TM.

BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT

Fiat: Branded Content Better Tell A Good Story Media Post Publications 11.09.12 Fiat is Chrysler LLC’s fastest-growing brand, but a couple of years ago it experienced serious problems getting off the ground. A big piece of that was awareness among a younger, creative, urban crowd of people fitting the Cinquecento target.

Axe Sponsors Comedy Tour Media Post Publications 11.09.12 Axe Hair has teamed up with young comedians to create the “Splitting Hairs” Comedy Tour in conjunction with Comedy Central. Kicking off at the New York Comedy Festival on Nov. 9, each “Splitting Hairs” live show will feature Abby Elliott and Owen Benjamin. The show will include live and pre-taped segments and audience participation. Comedian David Koechner will serve as moderator.

Telemundo, Trident Raise the Game for Social TV and Branded Entertainment brandchannel 11.09.12 Jack Myers, CEO of Jack Myers Media Business Report, opened the Social TV Summit in New York on Thursday by noting that there has been, and will be, more technological evolution taking place in the next decade than all the new technology that has emerged since the Industrial Revolution.

ADVERTISING

Mobile Video Tops Web, TV In Ad Results Media Post Publications 11.13.12 Earlier this year, mobile video ad platform AdColony teamed up with Nielsen and Universal Pictures to test the effectiveness of 15-second video spots for a new movie release across TV and mobile screens. The multiscreen effort delivered much higher brand metrics than just the TV ads alone.

Occupy Billboards: Reclaiming Outdoor Advertising for Mother Nature brandchannel 11.09.12 Everywhere you look are advertisements: on your clothes, on your gas-pump handle, on manhole covers, or on the front of your subway card. But one man is aiming to create a special spot where consumers will be advertising-free. Strangely, though, it’s a place that has long been a home for advertisements: the billboard.

Facebook’s Newest Ad Offering Media Post Publications 11.09.12 If you’re working in the ad industry, there’s one question that’s even more intriguing than the last scene of “The Sopranos” — just how will Facebook be able to grow revenue and send its stock price soaring? In the recent past, Facebook launched several new advertising initiatives to make its platform more appealing to advertisers, and extended the scope of its Facebook Offers product by making it available on its mobile app.

ENTERTAINMENT

Google TV Update Adds Universal Voice Search, Rebrands Movies & TV Store To “Primetime” Tech Crunch 11.14.12

Google TV is adding a new feature that could make it easier for users to search and navigate all the different content on various video applications, without having to use keypads or clunky text interfaces. It’s also rebranding its digital video store PrimeTime, as a way to entice users to shop for — and buy — movies and TV shows on their devices.

Nielsen: TV Usage Of ‘TV’ Continues to Erode, Mobile Is Fastest-Growing Segment Media Post Publications 11.13.12 The amount of time Americans spend watching “TV” via a traditional television set continues to decline, according to the latest edition of Nielsen’s quarterly Cross Platform Report. While television remains the overwhelming means most people use to watch “television,” usage of the medium declined 1.7% over the past year, according to the second-quarter 2012 report.

Guitar Hero Co-Creator May Be New Hero to Mobile Gamers brandchannel 11.12.12 Game developers are hoping that consumers will continue buying game consoles for their TVs as well as separate mobile gaming devices for their needs when they are on the run. But the work of one gentleman who has made a veritable boatload of cash from the gaming world may help bring those worlds together, much to the chagrin of gaming companies.

MEDIA & TECH

Il Palazzo: Prada Launches First Mobile App as Virtual Gallery brandchannel 11.14.12 Prada has launched its first mobile app, an extension of a visual partnership with fashion illustrator Richard Haines — a major digital move for the Italian fashion label, one that it describes as the culmination of “a multi-platform project combining hand-made artistry and cutting-edge technology.”

Google Introduces ‘Shortlists’ for Collaborative Shopping Mashable 11.13.12 Google has rolled out a slew of new shopping features leading into the holiday buying season, the latest in a series of changes to its Google Shopping product, which switched from an organic search to a paid search model in October.

YouTube Preps Big New Round of Content Investments AdAge 11.11.12 Nearly a year after YouTube sprinkled $100 million across the online video ecosystem to create more than a hundred new “channels,” it’s doubling down. Google’s video giant will provide a second round of funding to 30% to 40% of its original partners and will start notifying those getting more investment in the next few weeks. “Our biggest objective was to kick-start the ecosystem, to bring in great creators, to deepen our relationships with advertisers and to grow viewership,” said Global Head of Content Strategy Jamie Byrne.

OgilvyEntertainment Press Review is a collection of the latest client, branded entertainment, and industry news.

Read Making magic, using logic: the Ogilvy Branded Entertainment Assessment Model^TM.

BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT

Coca-Cola Launches Happy Places Photo-Sharing App brandchannel 11.05.12 Coca-Cola has long made happiness part of its brand DNA. Now extending that joy into social, the iconic brand’s Happy Places photo app and social network is encouraging people to share their happy moments with a new photo-sharing social network, Happy Places, and a free mobile app to enable it. The launch comes as Twitter is rumored to be ready to launch a photo filter, a move that Instagram’s CEO says doesn’t scare him.

American Express Goes Gaming on Xbox brandchannel 11.05.12 In the challenging world of gaming console marketing, American Express has launched a co-branded experience that combines activity-based advertising and digital partnerships, building on AMEX’s success with Foursquare, Facebook and Twitter.

Unilever to target gamers with Planet Lynx platform Marketing Week 11.05.12 The Planet Lynx initiative has already launched in beta in the US and Canada under the Axe brand name. It uses the strapline “Play Hard. Earn Points. Score Rewards”. It includes games such as Axe Man, which is powered by users’ music collections. The game could potentially launch in the UK market as Lynx Man or Lynx Axe Man.

ADVERTISING

IgnitionOne Adds Facebook Exchange Support Media Post Publications 11.08.12 IgnitionOne released support for Facebook Exchange in its Digital Marketing Suite (DMS) Thursday. The function adds cross-channel capabilities, from search to display to social. Access to real-time bidding through the Facebook Exchange enhances the ability to present relevant Facebook ads based on first-party intent data, a well-known strategy by search marketers.

To Generate Heat, Advertising Must Light Fires Forbes 11.08.12 Time was, the proverbial ad campaign was methodical. It was calculable. It had a certain predictable rhythm to it. There was a media plan that was planned a year in advance. The creative team would then fill in the blanks of the media plan with creative ads. With our foot on the throat of media proliferation, we had quaint numbers like ‘”reach” and “frequency” and “impressions” to dangle in front of clients to project the impact of the agency’s work and the client’s media spending.

Video Boosts Mobile Ad Engagement 30% Media Post Publications 11.07.12 As mobile advertising continues its rapid trajectory, more marketers are likely to weave video and rich media into their mobile spots. That’s because data continues to prove the effectiveness of video in boosting interaction rates and engagement with mobile ads.

ENTERTAINMENT

Is Bravo’s ‘LOLwork’ the Next ‘The Office’? Mashable 11.07.12 The eccentric world of an Internet startup takes center stage this fall when Bravo debuts LOLwork on Nov. 7. The comedic documentary series follows the follows of I Can Has Cheezburger, the nearly 6-year-old humor website that become famous for showcasing lolcat memes, a.k.a. cat photographs with funny text.

Dunkin’ Donuts Partners With Universal Music Media Post Publications 11.07.12 Dunkin’ Donuts is partnering with Universal Music Latin Entertainment to make Dunkin’ Donuts coffee part of Latin music’s big night. Dunkin’ Donuts is the exclusive coffee provider of “Noche de Estrellas,” the invite-only after-party celebration at The Bank, located in the Bellagio in Las Vegas, on Nov. 15.

Hulu Builds Content Library Via CBS Deal Media Post Publications 11.06.12 Even before Providence Equity Partners officially sold its stake in Hulu last month, there was wide speculation regarding the future of the video venture, and its ability to attract quality content. Somewhat easing such concerns, CBS Corporation just agreed to a non-exclusive, multi-year licensing agreement to stream programs on the Hulu Plus subscription service. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

MEDIA & TECH

Can computer games double as personality assessment tools? Search Financial Applications 11.08.12 For as long as personality tests have been tools in the hiring process, recruiters have wondered, To what degree can the answers be trusted? Discovering a few months into employment that a person is not who she represented herself to be can be an unpleasant revelation. But what if a recruiter could objectively uncover a candidate’s behavioral traits — and increase engagement at the same time?

Google Demonstrates Real-Time Web Collaboration Through Music Media Post Publications 11.08.12 Jam with Chrome might seem like a simple and entertaining experiment in musical teamwork, but dig a little deeper and marketers will find that this sophisticated Web-based application demonstrates the power of real-time collaboration and ad targeting on the Web.

Santa Goes Mobile: Walmart and Mattel Test Virtual Toy Store in Canada brandchannel 11.05.12 Tesco made headlines a year ago when its HomePlus retail subsidiary in South Korea tested a virtual store in a Seoul subway station, showcasing items that could be scanned and ordered by smartphone for home delivery, while Peapod is testing virtual grocery shopping in the U.S.

OgilvyEntertainment Press Review is a collection of the latest client, branded entertainment, and industry news.

Read Making magic, using logic: the Ogilvy Branded Entertainment Assessment Model^TM.

 BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT

 OPI Video Blends Brand Color With Dancing Horse Media Post Publications 10.31.12 Hold your horses: OPI unleashed its first video less than week ago, and its flashy manicured thoroughbred is already causing a bit of a social stampede. The nail polish brand, beloved by its fans for its quirky color names, uses the horse-of-a-different color film to highlight four shades.

Yahoo, Mediacom launch Style Factor for P&G Campaign India 10.31.12 Yahoo! India and Mediacom have got together to launch Style Factor, a custom branded content and entertainment site for Proctor & Gamble (P&G). Inspired by ‘The Thread’ on Yahoo! Shine developed for P&G in the USA, Style Factor will bring the latest celebrity news and information on fashion, skincare, hair care and makeup to users in India. Style Factor is available on Yahoo! India Lifestyle.

Hot Pockets’ Viral Snoop Dogg Video Keeps Rollin’ Media Post Publications 10.29.12 “Pocket Like It’s Hot,” a tongue-in-cheek video by Snoop Dogg and friends for Hot Pockets, featuring a remix of his hit single “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” has pulled more than 4 million views since its YouTube debut on Oct.10. And its viewership may gain further momentum from a video posted on Oct. 26 by its director, comedian/actor and “30 Rock” star Judah Friedlander. In his “director’s response” video, Friedlander offers humorous comments on the creative process and what it was like to direct Snoop Dogg.

ADVERTISING

Vevo Launches Ad Exchange, Enhances Brand Marketing Media Post Publications 10.29.12 Vevo, the latest Web publisher to break into real-time bidding, just debuted a private ad exchange. With the new platform, the popular online music video company — owned by Universal Music Group, Sony Music and Abu Dhabi Media – is hoping to increase its reach among marketers.

Advertising Relearned for Mobile New York Times 10.28.12 Say you are in a strange city and need a hotel for the night. You pull out your phone, search for hotels on Google and see a nearby one listed at the top of the rankings, with a little phone icon that says, “Call.” You tap it, reach the hotel and ask for a room.

Retail To Increase Email, Mobile, Social Marketing Budgets Media Post Publications 10.25.12 Some 43% of retailers said they will raise online marketing budgets — investing in either mobile, social or email marketing channels during the holiday season, according to a new study analyzing expectation of holiday advertising and sales.

ENTERTAINMENT

Univision Launches TV Everywhere Service with Timed Social Comments, Apple & Android Apps Media Post Publications 10.31.12 More evidence of the emerging growth in the Hispanic digital video market came from Univision. The network officially launched UVideos yesterday with Starcom advertisers Allstate, Microsoft and Wendy’s on board via a deal Starcom struck during the upfront. The service gives the network a berth in the TV Everywhere world in an interesting play that brings most of its prime-time shows to both the Web and to Android and iOs apps for free the day after they air, with programming subtitled in English.

Disney to Buy Lucasfilm for $4.05 Billion; New ‘Star Wars’ Movie Set for 2015 The Hollywood Reporter 10.30.12 The Walt Disney Co. has acquired Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion in cash and stock and announced a new Star Wars movie to be released in 2015. Kathleen Kennedy, current co-chair of Lucasfilm, will become its president, reporting to Walt Disney Studios chair Alan Horn. Disney is paying about half the purchase price in cash and will issue 40 million shares of stock, the company said in a statement Tuesday.

Social TV and second-screen viewing: the stats in 2012 The Guardian 10.29.12 In 2012, a lot of people are using smartphones, tablets and/or laptops while watching TV. But how many, what are they doing, and what might it mean for the TV industry? It’s a question being chewed over at pretty much every industry conference, and there is no shortage of research companies conducting surveys to try to help them understand viewer habits, and respond accordingly.

Everyone At Once On The Second Screen Tech Crunch 10.29.12 When the world’s gaze focuses on a single televised moment, it’s what’s in the periphery of our vision that unites us. The second screen brings awareness of the millions watching alongside, no matter where they are. It reaffirms our interest and passion, while adding depth and fresh perspective. Now if you watch the game on delay, or check out the debates online later, you’re missing something special.

MEDIA & TECH

Almost 2/3 of Mobile Device Owners Are Reading Digital News Media Post Publications 10.30.12 According to a detailed survey of news use on mobile devices by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, half of all U.S. adults now have a mobile connection to the web through either a smartphone or tablet, significantly more than a year ago, which has major implications for how news will be consumed and paid for.

10% of consumers use mobile as their primary device for checking email E Consultancy 10.26.12 This suggests that desktop clients should still be the most important focus for marketers, however it doesn’t take into account the number of people who check or prioritise their emails on mobile. Stats published in May shows that more than a third of consumers (36%) read marketing emails on mobile, rising to 55% among 18-34 year olds. 

The World Is Not Enough: Google and the Future of Augmented Reality The Atlantic 10.25.12 It is The Future. You wake up at dawn and fumble on the bedstand for your (Google) Glass. Peering out at the world through transparent screens, what do you see? If you pick up a book, do you see a biography of its author, an analysis of the chemical composition of its paper, or the share price for its publisher? Do you see a list of your friends who’ve read it or a selection of its best passages or a map of its locations or its resale price or nothing?

OgilvyEntertainment Press Review is a collection of the latest client, branded entertainment, and industry news.

Read Making magic, using logic: the Ogilvy Branded Entertainment Assessment Model^TM.

BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT

BEF’12: “Transparency is everything” realscreen 10.25.12 When it comes to defining branded entertainment, for those of us not intricately involved in the process of content production, it seems rather obvious. Branded entertainment is content that is partially or fully funded by a brand which features that brand, or its messaging, somehow throughout.

Starwood Promotes Brand Experience and Innovation brandchannel 10.23.12 When 12-year-old Claudia Kincaid and her 9-year-old brother Jamie decide to run away in 1967’s The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, they head off to New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they sleep in a big, antique bed and they make money from the coins tourists throw into the fountains.

How To Create Breakthrough Branded Web Content Forbes 10.21.12 Over the last few years, brands and agencies have increased their focus on branded content in an attempt to better connect and engage with the consumer. Digital video has paved the way for these opportunities, allowing brands to truly become content creators at reasonable price points with new avenues for distribution.

NYTVF Brand Connect Links Marketers To TV Development Projects Media Post Publications 10.19.12 The 7-year-old New York Television Festival is looking to get marketers more involved at the early stages of the TV development cycle — possibly as branded entertainment partners, equity partners or more. With sports and marketing company Insignia Sports & Entertainment group, it is starting up NYTVF Brand Connect, where brands and ad agencies will have an opportunity to participate in early-stage television and digital project/pilot development. Efforts will appear at the festival.

ADVERTISING 

Prices for ‘Walking Dead’ Ad Packages Topping Many Broadcast Commercials AdAge 10.25.12 The friendly family that has made ABC’s “Modern Family” so successful could soon fall prey to rampaging hordes of flesh-eating zombies. The cost of ad packages for the third season of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” — a dark, violent series about survivors making their way against hordes of zombies in a surreal, post-apocalyptic tableau — hovered between $200,000 and $260,000 earlier in the year, according to two media buyers.

Rumors are Apple’s secret weapon SFGate 10.24.12 On Tuesday, Apple will make an announcement that will probably shake the gadget world. Most Apple-watchers believe the company will release a miniature iPad. But Apple could introduce a MacBook Pro with a sharper screen. Or a more powerful Mac Mini. Or some combination of the three. Or none of them.

TV ratings don’t dictate commercial prices, Ad Age survey says LA Times 10.22.12 The most-watched TV drama is ”NCIS” on CBS. The biggest comedy is ”The Big Bang Theory,” also on CBS. So those shows should be the most expensive to advertise on, right? Wrong! Advertising Age has come out with its annual look at what commercials cost on broadcast TV shows.

ENTERTAINMENT

CBS, Yahoo! Re-Branding ‘The Insider’ as ‘omg! Insider,’ Add Interactive Components Lost Remote 10.23.12 CBS Television Distribution and Yahoo! are re-branding syndicated entertainment news show “The Insider” as “omg! Insider,” and adding a number of interactive elements to the program. Hosts Kevin Frazier and Brooke Anderson will stay on, but they will also be joined by Yahoo! talent like Kristin Aldridge and Michael Yo.

Pregame Super Bowl Clips Drive Social Views, Engagement Media Post Publications 10.23.12 As marketers plan their strategies around their Super Bowl ads, research from Visible Measures suggests distributing clips or some other teaser videos online before the game can build engagement significantly. That finding dovetails with marketers’ efforts to increasingly discover ways to use social media to give their ads life before and after the 30 seconds in the game. 

Digital Movies Gaining In Popularity Media Post Publications 10.22.12 Say goodbye to DVDs … someday. According to new research from Mintel, digital downloads, subscription streaming and video-on-demand sales of movies will increase tenfold during the 10-year period of 2007 and 2017, having already quadrupled from $1.3 billion to $5.5 billion between 2007 and 2012.

MEDIA & TECH

Search Marketers Find Social Awareness In Gen Y Media Post Publications 10.24.12 Search marketers reaching out to consumers ages 18 to 34 may want to take a closer look at their political preferences and the characteristics that support their beliefs. New research from The Intelligence Group found that members of Generation Y plan to cast a vote for president based on who will make the world better, while 27% will base their vote on who they think will improve their personal situation.

Bravo studies viewing habits of ‘multi-screeners’ realscreen 10.23.12 U.S. cable net Bravo has unveiled a research study that found viewers are less likely to skip through commercials if they watch television while using other devices, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops. Conducted in partnership with Latitude Research, “Deconstructing the Multi-Screener” is based on an online survey of more than 1,000 consumers aged between 18 and 54, as well as a qualitative study in which 112 people in Boston and Los Angeles were observed as they watched television with and without time-shifting capabilities while using their smartphones, tablets and laptops in a simulated living room.

Peter Fasano Heads Up Social@Ogilvy Atlanta Hispanic Business 10.23.12 Social@Ogilvy, a recently launched Ogilvy & Mather practice connecting the agency’s social media experts globally to deliver solutions across all areas of business, has appointed Peter Fasano as senior vice president and head of Social@Ogilvy Atlanta. Reporting to Ogilvy Public Relations (Ogilvy PR) Atlanta Managing Director Mickey Nall, Fasano leads a growing team dedicated to developing and implementing cutting-edge social business strategies and solutions for clients.