A Wider Net

If you dig the Geico caveman campaign, you’re in luck. ABC plans to air a sitcom starring three of them. Adrants pointed me to the TMZ story published on Friday. Personally I’d rather see a Gecko sitcom. I’ve seen enough TV shows portraying men as stupid as cavemen (true or not). I still bear the scars from Married with Children.
The caveman sitcom will apparently also feature a Geico spokesperson role in the cast. This makes simple product placement seem rather prehistoric by comparison. This is branded content at it’s pinnacle (but the quality obviously can’t be judged yet).

Searching around the net I could find no article describing how deep Geico is into the funding and development of the show. If Geico or it’s agency bought the content, commissioning the pilot and pitching it to ABC, it would not surprise me. Buying branded content is nothing new: check out this NYT article from a few months ago. In it, they mention that  companies like Burger King and Anheuser-Busch are producing full-length movies and their own television networks. Companies have often funded documentaries, or created their own content for television and/or web and now they’re making their own video games and working harder to capture viewers attention outside of the TiVo-removed ad insertions.

Building your own branded content can position your company as a thought leader, or position your product or company in the heart of pop culture. Smaller companies can do this too, now, publishing the content through their own web site, through a custom micro site, or through any of the content platforms like YouTube or Brightcove. One of my favorite examples was Reebok’s Terry Tate Office Linebacker campaign. Which reminds me - make your own branded content all you want - it still has to be good.