PressEthic

This may be kind of old news for some of us, but an article in last Friday's New York Times is a testament to how much the world of media and advertising is changing. In response to the way Americans have learned to zone out commercials or fast forward, marketers are now turning advertisements into their own television shows and movies. Advertisers have become so fed up with smart consumers that they're turning the tables on us, and this doesn't seem to be going away any time soon.

Marketers have become alarmed as consumers increasingly bypass commercials using digital video recorders like TiVo, and spend more time flipping among a wide array of television networks, Internet sites and video games.

To me, this cross-pollination is forbidden territory. The average American has been sitting through commercials for years. However, even though we had to sit through those commercials, the one thing the advertising companies haven't been able to take away (in any significant capacity) was our sacred shows, our programming. It's one thing to tune out a 30 second commercial, but an entire half hour show? Or even a two hour movie that all our friends are raving about? Advertising is seeping into our lives on a much larger scale than we think. Godzilla is coming and we don't even know it.

Could this be successful? If enough people get into these shows, it definitely could. If the advertisers package it in a way that looks very similar and is as interesting as some of the most popular shows on television, then yes. But, the thought of watching an entire movie starring the Burger "King" doesn't excite me in the least. If they want to draw my attention, they're certainly going to have to produce some content that's meaningful or comparable to what's considered quality shows.

What kind of impact will this have on the quality of shows? There could be a shift in focus from good storylines, acting, and creativity to the brands and products themselves. Also, I find it extremely odd that advertisers, who are in the business of marketing products, are going to produce TV shows and movies. How are they going to produce quality work in an industry outside of their expertise?

In addition, this introduces a new power struggle:

But persuading TV networks involves a bit of “arm wrestling,” said Jon Kamen, chief executive at @radical.media, which produces films and TV shows for advertisers. “It’s critically important that the broadcast networks and cable embrace this shift now rather than resist it,” he contended, adding they must be wary of forcing “advertisers to go elsewhere — because there is elsewhere to go.”

Could power be shifting into the hands of advertisers? Will the networks eventually be forced to accept their content if they are the ones providing the advertising dollars?

I'll leave you with this scary question: could news be on a similar path? Could advertisements be made to look like a news story, in print, in broadcast, or online? The answer, unfortunately, is yes because they already have. If you look at certain pages of the New York Times, advertisers sometimes make their ads look like articles to draw you in. I've fallen into this trap. What about stories that seem to be written only to promote something, like a broadway play or a musician's new album?

This could eventually cross-pollinate into all areas of media and entertainment. We eventually won't be able to tell the difference between the authentic and the fake.