Note to NBC Universal: Tone Down the Over-the-Top Ad Pitches

Last week, you enraged employees and readers of the Los Angeles Times with an ad for Southland that was clumsily made to resemble a front-page news story. This week, you inserted possibly the most gag-inducing bit of product placement primetime has yet witnessed into an episode of Chuck:

Is the plug for Subway's chicken teriyaki footlong supposed to be so over-the-top that it plays as humor? That sort of self-referentiality has occasionally worked on 30 Rock, but it doesn't work here. The desperation for Subway's cash, the craven willingness to write their slogan into the script and guarantee multiple porny shots of the chain's logo, is too sad.

Clearly the subtlety and delicacy needed to pull off the blending of content and marketing in a way that doesn't make consumers go "blech" is nowhere to be found in NBC Universal's (GE) executive suite.

On the other hand, I'd never watched so much as a minute of Chuck before today. So maybe this was actually a brilliant piece of anti-promotion?

Comments

[ZYZYXX:]

I totally agree with the above statements. NBC Universal pushes it
own products on the news. Note: MSNBC had a fifteen minute interview with Ben Affleck about his latest movie. I checked and it
turned out (not suprisingly) that Universal was the primary distributor
of the movie. "State of Plan." It may a good film, but judging on the
amount of ads and interviews, this is an indication that it is a bad
film.
It's about time that all these sad networks create a more unbias
agenda.
Another example, on a CBS country awards show, they had Jennifer Love Hewitt as a headliner. What does she have to do
with a CBS country show except that she is on one of their shows
that have nothing to do with music.

Apr 17 03:29 PM

[drbob66:]

"It may [be] a good film, but judging on the amount of ads and interviews, this is an indication that it is a bad film."

Your statement makes no sense...but it does suggest to me that this country truly DOES need to invest more in education...with an emphasis on logic and critical thinking skills.

With respect to the article itself...well, I've never seen "Chuck," so I can't comment on that...except to say that, given all the challenges that this country currently faces, this one seems inconsequential (unless you're a media critic, I suppose). "30 Rock" is a hilarious show, though.



On Apr 17 03:29 PM ZYZYXX wrote:

> I totally agree with the above statements. NBC Universal pushes it
>
> own products on the news. Note: MSNBC had a fifteen minute interview
> with Ben Affleck about his latest movie. I checked and it
> turned out (not suprisingly) that Universal was the primary distributor
>
> of the movie. "State of Plan." It may a good film, but judging on
> the
> amount of ads and interviews, this is an indication that it is a
> bad
> film.
> It's about time that all these sad networks create a more unbias
>
> agenda.
> Another example, on a CBS country awards show, they had Jennifer
> Love Hewitt as a headliner. What does she have to do
> with a CBS country show except that she is on one of their shows
>
> that have nothing to do with music.

Apr 18 08:03 AM

[mariposa:]

Yes, yes, yes. Not only absurd and misleading, but promoting violence.
Best invention of 20th century. Mute button.

Apr 18 09:53 AM

[Donald Johnson:]

GE's CEO and the CEO of NBC Universal had dinner with CNBC anchors, according to the NY Post. Suggested that they lay off criticism of Obama and Geithner.

Unfortunately, a company suspected of if not known for manipulating its earnings numbers over the years also has other ethical problems.

GE has tremendous conflicts of interest. It is hyping its green and alternative energy products and technology, which depend on Obama subsidies. It sells expensive medical equipment, which depends on Medicare and Medicaid payment policies. It is a huge financial company, which depends on Obama's bailout policies for banks and its competitors as well as for itself. It's a cable operator subject to various FCC and FTC regulations.

And it's a "too big to fail" conglomerate dependent on the feds for tolerant anti-trust law enforcement.

It is afraid of the totalitarian policies of the Obama administration, which can make its life miserable any time it wants.

Apr 18 09:52 PM

[yank:]

Thge funny thing is we all know that the muckety-mucks at GE, NBC and CNBC all VOTED for Obama. Now you believe they are afraid of his policies? I'm not sure that is naivete or stupidity. Whatever, when it comes to the term "too big too fail", I believe the phrase should be replaced with "too big to exist".


On Apr 18 09:52 PM Donald Johnson wrote:

> GE's CEO and the CEO of NBC Universal had dinner with CNBC anchors,
> according to the NY Post. Suggested that they lay off criticism of
> Obama and Geithner.
>
> Unfortunately, a company suspected of if not known for manipulating
> its earnings numbers over the years also has other ethical problems.
>
>
> GE has tremendous conflicts of interest. It is hyping its green and
> alternative energy products and technology, which depend on Obama
> subsidies. It sells expensive medical equipment, which depends on
> Medicare and Medicaid payment policies. It is a huge financial company,
> which depends on Obama's bailout policies for banks and its competitors
> as well as for itself. It's a cable operator subject to various FCC
> and FTC regulations.
>
> And it's a "too big to fail" conglomerate dependent on the feds for
> tolerant anti-trust law enforcement.
>
> It is afraid of the totalitarian policies of the Obama administration,
> which can make its life miserable any time it wants.

Apr 20 03:49 PM