Procter & Gamble spices up adverts

13 April 2012

CONSUMER goods giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) is taking part in a bold advertising experiment that will mimic reality TV shows, but give viewers the chance to tune out.

The plan turns the traditional, 30-second commercial format on its head, mixing longer-form entertainment with product identification.

The first product to get the treatment will be P&G's Old Spice brand. Its new Red Zone scented body wash product will be promoted in 10-minute to 20-minute segments involving a contest on US college campuses to choose the best-smelling candidate for a Red Zone Presidential Election. The programme will be available on demand for cable television subscribers to Comcast's video-on-demand services.

'We're creating branded content to make it more interesting and reach more people,' said Nancy Newman, integrated marketing manager at Comcast Spotlight, which created the campaign with Old Spice.

'Showing scent on television isn't a very easy thing to do. This turned into a presidential parody.'

Old Spice communications manager Brent Miller said the brand was experimenting with longer advertising forms to reach young male viewers. Advertising agencies have held out ondemand services as a new way to invite consumers to find out more about brands, or build ties to products through entertainment.

But the reality is that it is harder to get consumers to watch traditional ads, which are easier to skip with digital technology.

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