Online product placement takes a step forward on AOL, which is playing three new broadband video programs that incorporate GMC vehicles into the action. The shows, which started running Jan. 16 on AOL’s Living Channel, were created by AOL through a partnership with GMC under the direction of GMC’s agency, Digitas/Boston.
“You might see Tyler going shopping and putting the veggies in the Yukon,” an AOL spokeswoman said of a product placement sequence, which occurs on “Cooking with Tyler Florence,” a show that stars the celebrity chef and the GMC Yukon.
Three GMC vehicles are integrated into the campaign–the Yukon, the Acadia and the Sierra, and each is used exclusively on one of the shows, “Cooking,” “Home Entertainment with Michele and Gia” and “Home Improvement with Eric Strommer.”
The shows run three to five minutes, they are free to view and 78 have been created for the GMC program that will run for a year, according to the AOL spokeswoman.
The advertising also includes pre-rolls in front of the shows and sidebar videos, which are tips relating to show topics that are labeled GMC Trade Secrets. One hundred twenty Trade Secrets, 40 for each show, were created. They run about a minute each. The tips include their own “pre-rolls,” short intro clips in which the talent interacts with the vehicle. “It communicates the brand message and it’s a tie in between the brand and the show’s relevant content,” said Sean Kegelman, VP/director of marketing at Digitas.
Kegelman said the sidebar videos will be used on their own. “We’ll play them on video syndication sites like Google and YouTube and podcasts with messages that will draw them back to AOL.”
Digitas created the pre-rolls and sidebar videos from existing footage from TV commercials and new footage shot with the talent from the shows, Kegelman said. AOL produced the shows.
“We believe the Trade Secrets campaign will enable us to connect to our consumers on a more emotional level than traditional advertising,” said Mary Kubitskey, GMC advertising manager. “They’ll actually have the ability to interact with our brands. Also, GMC owns the rights to these assets, so throughout the year these vignettes can be repurposed for different uses.”
By Ken Liebeskind
AD&Co. Launches Studio A; Davida Hall To Head New Venture As Sr. Director of Creative Content
Female-founded and led creative marketing agency AD&Co. has opened Studio A. The new venture will serve as AD&Co.’s in-house social brand content division, focused on developing and producing digital programming for advertising, social media, and influencer marketing campaigns designed to reach today’s audiences on the most popular and pivotal platforms. Davida Hall has been named to head Studio A as sr. director of creative content. She shifts over from AD&Co. where she held the same title since December 2023. Hall’s affiliations prior to AD&Co. include PopSugar and Studio71.
Amy Demas, founder and chief creative officer of AD&Co., said, “We understand content is king-—or queen—and that our clients need to engage their customer communities where they live. That inspired the logical expansion of AD&Co with Studio A, which is committed to producing only the most engaging and authentic brand stories.”
Studio A will harness both AD&Co’s and Hall’s deep expertise in the lifestyle sector, as content creators and avid consumers. Specializing in reaching audiences where they spend their time, the studio is immersed in social media, pop culture, and current trends, expertly crafting visuals, language, and storytelling to reinforce client brand identities and cut through the noise.
Studio A debuts with the “This Is Me” campaign for Love + Craft + Beauty, a brand dedicated to embracing and promoting diversity within the beauty space. “This Is Me” highlights Gen Z’s affinity for radical self-expression that allows individuals to tell their own stories, free from labels, using beauty and fashion as tools of authenticity. The campaign showcases models celebrating their unique qualities to present... Read More