Content Deal Is Believed To Be Among The First Of Its Kind Between A Mainstream TV Production Company And An Advertising Agency
By Robert Goldrich
LOS ANGELES --From a subservient chicken on the Web to a potential lead role in advertising agency development of TV series–that’s the progression for Crispin Porter + Bogusky (CP+B), Miami, which has entered into what’s believed to be a precedent-setting relationship with Fox Television Studios, Los Angeles.
The Fox studio has struck a strategic first-look deal with CP+B. Per the arrangement, Fox will have a first look at concepts and properties CP+B develops that have potential as material for original scripted and unscripted series.
“CP+B is universally recognized for their cutting edge campaigns and highly successful approach to branded content,” related Fox TV Studios president Angela Shapiro-Mathes in a released statement. “They bring the kind of unique creativity and out-of-the-box thinking that will complement our development across all media.
“Our goal,” continued Shapiro-Mathes, “is to create franchises and find innovative ways of reaching the audience. In order to do that, we’re bringing in the most talented people we can identify from all over the world. The relationship with CP+B underscores our commitment to reach out into varied arenas to effectively execute that strategy.”
The branded content alluded to by Shapiro-Mathes includes the lauded viral marketing campaign CP+B created for client Burger King. The subservient chicken Web site has reportedly attracted more than 385 million hits, with visitors spending an average of six minutes watching a man in a chicken suit perform certain stunts on command–all the while creating a viral buzz for Burger King’s chicken sandwich.
CP+B has also turned out notable fare for such accounts as BMW’s Mini Cooper and the anti-tobacco “Truth” campaign–the latter in conjunction with Arnold Worldwide, Boston, for the American Legacy Foundation.
TV series–not necessarily with a built in branded entertainment component–represent a priority in terms of fare to be generated by the Fox/CP+B relationship. At the same time, though, the first-look deal may also spawn content across varied media platforms, including cell phone and Internet programming.
CP+B declined any interviews regarding its deal with Fox. An agency spokesperson explained that Fox is taking the press lead on the development and that CP+B would comment down the road as tangible product from the relationship starts to emerge. A released statement from Alex Bogusky, executive creative director at CP+B, read, “We’re excited and flattered to enter into a relationship with Fox Television Studios. We definitely share the same passion to create something truly new and we look forward to that opportunity to bring some of these ideas to life.”
Fox Television Studios is an independent unit of the Fox Entertainment Group that produces a wide range of TV programming. Its divisions produce network primetime series through its partnership with Regency Television (i.e., Malcolm in the Middle, The Bernie Mac Show, Listen Up, Living With Fran); original movies (Redemption), series (The Shield) and limited series (The Grid); unscripted programs (R U The Girl?, Biography, Will You Live Forever?); and international/local production and formats through Fox World (Temptation Island, My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance, Face Off, Secret Attractions).Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads — essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More