Geico Caveman Sitcom & The Burger King Movie: No Escaping THIS Product Placement!

Owenashi · March 2007

Ran across this news while I was seeing if anything new was up at the home-site for Red Vs. Blue. I found what seems to be the original news-piece and I knew I had to share it with you guys. Probably one of the most bizzare things I've ever heard of.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/AreGeicoCavemenReadyForPrimeTime.aspx

MSN Money wrote:

Is finding a way for marketers to beat commercial-zapping DVRs and helping networks to cure the distressed state of TV comedy so simple that a caveman could do it?

ABC's decision last week to greenlight a half-hour pilot program based on Geico's popular cavemen characters highlights the blurring line between advertising and entertainment, as well as the trouble the network has had in launching successful sitcoms.

Although the project is at a nascent stage -- there's no script and no cast -- plans call for the comedy to be titled "Cavemen" and focus on a trio of prehistoric characters who battle prejudice in modern-day Atlanta. Walt Disney's ABC will pay for the pilot and show, if one eventually materializes. Geico, a unit of Berkshire Hathaway, will have no creative control but will receive a royalty payment for the use of the characters.

While marketers have long depended heavily on so-called product placement, in which products are written into the story line of a show, some are now going even further by creating entertainment programming that subtly reminds viewers of a brand name.

"It's about delivering to them something they want to see and not interrupting them," says Doug Scott, the executive director of branded content and entertainment at Ogilvy & Mather North America. In many ways, the trend harkens back to early TV, when shows such as "The Colgate Comedy Hour" were produced or sponsored by advertisers.

One of the most aggressive has been Burger King Holdings. The chain has focused over the last year on lifting the profile of its "king" mascot, a mute character best known for his creepy smile. The burger baron recently starred in a series of video games, and the company says it has lined up a studio and distributor for a feature film.

Russ Klein, Burger King's president of global marketing strategy, won't reveal the studio's identity or the likely plot. But he says the movie could appear as early as the end of this year, with the film aimed at "creating a back story for the king."