advertising

Not All Dollar Shave Club Rip Offs Are Funny

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:46:14 +0000

While this Pure Storage video follows Dollar Shave Club fairly closely, it's really two minutes of waiting for something that's actually funny to happen. Sadly, it never really happens. Which doesn't necessarily make it bad. It's just not as good as it could be. Capiche?

Suicide Prevention Effort Makes Interesting Use of 'Skip Ad' Function

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:30:00 +0000

Publicis Brussels has created an ad for the Belgian suicide prevention line, Centre du Prevention de Suicide, that makes creative use of the pre-roll skip ad feature. The work aims to recruit good listeners for the prevention line.

Those who don't listen to the woman in the ad and hit "skip ad" are shown a scene that results in suicide. Those who don't click "skip ad" and listen to the woman's story get thanked by the woman and are shown the recruitment message.

t's an interesting approach both for the use of the "skip ad" feature and for its commentary on today's world where everyone is in a rush and doesn't care about the well being of others.

Of course, we can't really conclude that people who don't skip the ad will be good prevention line listeners or that people who do skip the ad won't be but we do like the analogy Publicis used.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend. Don't Text And Drive

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:15:14 +0000

In a new BBDO New York-created PSA for the It Can Wait campaign, we meet Xzavier, a boy who, while in a crosswalk, was hit by a driver who was texting. His mother explains what happened to her son and wonders whether the text, "Im on my way," sent by the girl who struck her son was really that important.

The It Can Wait campaign is a partnership between AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile which aims to educate the public on the dangers (and illegality) of texting while driving.

Don't do it this weekend. Or ever for that matter.

How to Insure Your Brand's Digital Experience Properly Serves Consumers

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:52:00 +0000

Each year, digital plays an increasing role in the relationship between brand and consumer. And it's showing no signs of slowing. In it's report, Digital Customer Experience Trends to Watch, 20013, Forrester takes a look what kinds of digital experiences shape the relationship between brand and consumer and how these changes will affect how brands communicate with their customers and prospects.

Download the report now to make sure your brand is on track to provide the right digital experience for your customers and prospects.

JWT Amsterdam's Creative Use of Retargeting Rejuvenates Ad Banner

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:26:40 +0000

Here's one of the most interesting uses of retargeting technology we've seen in a while. For those who don't know, in a nutshell, retargeting allows marketers to, in essence, "tag" you when you visit a particular site (on which they have placed an ad banner) and then show you another banner (retarget you) on another. Most marketers simply show you the same banner over and over again.

JWT Amsterdam approached retargeting a bit more intelligently and used the technology to tell a story.

JWT client, Dutch Customs, wanted to inform travelers it's illegal to bring back fake designer bags and small knifes from holiday destinations around the world. The agency created re-targeting banners in which street vendors attempt to sell the travelers these products and placed them on travel websites.

Using retargeting, the street vendors followed a person around as they visited various travel sites delivering ever more desperate pleas for people to buy their products each time. After several version of the banners were delivered across multiple site, the final message was delivered: it's not OK to bring these items back into the Netherlands.

Check out the case video below. See? The ad banner may not yet be dead.

Microsoft Reduces Apple's iPad to 'Chopsticks'

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:50:04 +0000

The Apple bashing is heating up again. Joining Samsung in the battle against Apple, Microsoft is out with a new commercial that takes on Siri's less than perfect multitasking skills. In the ad, a Windows 8 tablet sits next to an iPad and while the Windows 8 tablet gets busy, Sire simply can't keep up, "I'm sorry, I can only do one thing at a time. I guess PowerPoint isn't one of those things. Should we just play 'Chopsticks?'"

The ad leads to a page on which a comparison can be made between the Windows 8 tablet and the iPad.

Kmart Now Offers 'Big Gas Savings'

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:32:48 +0000

It seems Kmart plans to embark upon campaign filled with alliteration and word play. Having recently shipped it's pants, Kmart is now offering Big Gas Savings. Will this latest outing from Draftfcb top the original's 17 million YouTube views? Does a 4th grader love to tell fart jokes?

Why Your Emails Should Be Designed For Mobile [Infographic]

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:49:10 +0000

Did you know that 75% of the companies do not optimize email for mobiles yet? With 43% of the people now reading and responding emails through mobiles -- a figure that is expected to hit 50% in 2013 -- coupled with the fact 97% of the people view emails once, it becomes clear marketers should design emails to render properly on mobile devices.

Check out this infographic that's packed with charts and graphs that share how mobile is permeating the email experience.

Forget Preachy PSAs, Agency Discovers How to Actually Stop Drunk Driving

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:08:49 +0000

PSA campaigns have traditionally relied upon scare tactics to make their point. But for many young people who feel they are invincible, this approach rarely works. So how do you get young people to listen -- and in the case of Don't Drink and Drive efforts -- actually insure people do not drive drunk? You literally stop them. As in, like literally.

And that's exactly what Publicis Brussels did for Belgium-based Responsible Young Drivers. On the weekend of of its 22nd anniversary at Belgium's most famous nightclub, Carre, the agency worked with B Park engineers to create a parking lot gate that would only open if a car's driver passed a breathalizer test.

While this was a one-off event and 90% of club goers were sober enough to leave the parking lot, the organization plans to roll this effort out across other venues in the future. Hmm, pretty soon there will be a healthy business for pop up hotels around nightclubs.

NakedWines Does Dollar Shave Club

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:56:12 +0000

Following in Dollar Shave Club's footsteps, online wine retailer NakedWInes is out with a video that touts the retailer's frugal methods of operation which allow for offering the consumer better wine at cheaper prices.

It's like a Genie came right out of the bottle.

Ad of the Day: Dodge

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:27:23 +0000

It's the rare commercial that you wish went on longer. But such is the case with this 30-second Dodge Charger spot advertising the Chrysler brand's tie-in with the groundbreaking TV show/video game Defiance.

The Syfy show is a futuristic drama set in 2046 in a city called Defiance, which sits atop the ruins of St. Louis, Mo. Seven unique alien races have arrived on Earth, a development that has thrown humans for a bit of a loop. But not Dodge. As you see in the ad, from Wieden + Kennedy, which begins in the present day and continues to 2046, the Dodge Charger is so tough and versatile that it manages to survive the apocalypse, the invasion and lots of frantic driving by alien-pecked humans. "Only the defiant survive," says the copy at the end.

The show's hero, Joshua Nolan (Grant Bowler), drives a couple of Dodge Chargers, which have been modified a bit to fit the futuristic story line. The cars were directly integrated into the story in this past Monday's episode, the sixth of the first season, becoming major characters. And while there's an element of goofiness in having modern-day vehicles drive through Armageddon and live to tell the tale, there's a gritty, cool factor here too—achieved largely by the nice juxtaposition of the dark, hectic visuals and the soulful, stylish song "Freedom" by Anthony Hamilton and Elayna Boynton (which you may recognize from Django Unchained). Ads for video games often pair violence and beauty in this way especially well—here, the fictional premise lets an automaker do the same.

And no wonder it feels like a video-game spot. Defiance is also a massively multiplayer online video game. The show and the game feature interconnected worlds and story lines—the show impacts the game, and the game influences the show. And while the show features the Charger, the game incorporates the Dodge Challenger into the mix.

Dodge and W+K have glimpsed the future before. Maybe we could use the Dart's time machine to go back and make this Charger spot a :60?

CREDITS
Clients: Dodge, Syfy
Project: Dodge Charger | Defiance

Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Creative Directors: Aaron Allen / Michael Tabtabai / Kevin Jones
Copywriter: Smith Henderson
Art Director: Susan Land
Executive Producer: Corey Bartha
Account Team: Thomas Harvey / Lani Reichenbach / Ramon Cruz
Project Manager: Tamar Berk
Executive Creative Directors: Joe Staples / Susan Hoffman
Agency Executive Producer: Ben Grylewicz
Agency Producer: Jennie Lindstrom / Kirsten Acheson
Business Affairs Director: Amber Lavender

Production Company: MJZ
Director: Nicolai Fuglsig
Executive Producer: Emme Wilcockson
Line Producer: James Blom
Director of Photography: Robert Elswit

Editorial Company: Rock, Paper Scissors
Editor: Stewart Reeves
Post Producer: Alexandra Zickerick
Post Executive Producer: Carol Lynn Weaver

VFX Company: Method
VFX Supervisor: Ben Walsh
Executive Producer: Stephanie Gilgar
Head of 2D/Flame Artist: Patrick Ferguson
Producer: Jason Cohon
Coordinator: Nicole Saccardi
Nuke Artists: Alex Gitler / Grady Campbell
Matte Painting: Roger Kupelian / Rich Mahon / Zach Christian
FX Artist: Travis Harkleroad
Tracking: Apirak Kamjan / Rachan Chirattanakornkul
Roto: Kenneth Liu / Scott Crafford

Music+Sound Company: Stimmung
Sound Designer: Gus Koven
Producer: Ceinwyn Clark

Mix Company: Lime Studios
Mixer: Mark Meyuhas
Producer: Jessica Locke

Fast, Furious Wikileaks Mashed

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:17:41 +0000

Your holiday weekend movies in Trailer Mash 05 24 13

JCPenney One of 10 Brands Predicted to Die in Next Year

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:04:21 +0000

As new brands are brought to life in the evolution of various verticals, others will inevitably give up the ghost. While obsolesence related to industrial shifts is the No. 1 killer of outdated concepts or companies, other factors may guide the executioner's hand, including failure to innovate, cash flow issues and heavy competition.

Each year, 24/7 Wall St. identifies 10 important brands sold in America that it predicts will disappear within a year's time. This year’s list reflects the brutally competitive nature of certain industries.

Among those potentially headed into obscurity are two magazines—Martha Stewart Living and Road & Track. While some magazines weathered the multi-year decline, these two suffered sharp drops in advertising revenue over the past five years. Magazines also carry the heavy legacy costs of printing, paper and distribution—a problem not shared by their online-only competitors.

In the realm of consumer electronics, the Barnes & Noble Nook may be done for, as the e-reader business is shrinking and the Nook competes with better-selling products made by Apple and Amazon. Also in line for final goodbyes is the Olympus digital camera, as camera sales continue to be eroded by smartphones with cutting-edge built-in cameras.

Another industry with two brands on the list is automobiles: Mitsubishi and Volvo are reportedly set to follow Suzuki to the big junkyard in the sky.

The full list of brands predicted to fail this year: JCPenney, Nook, Olympus, Martha Stewart Living magazine, LivingSocial, Volvo, the WNBA, Leap Wireless, Mitsubishi Motors and Road & Track magazine.

Last year, 24/7 Wall Street correctly predicted Suzuki, MetroPCS and Current TV would be out. American Airlines, another predicted failure, is part of a new company through its combination with U.S. Airways, though the American Airlines name lives on. Talbots, which also made that list, was acquired by a private equity firm, and also as expected, Research In Motion is no longer a brand. Predictions regarding Avon, the Oakland Raiders and Salon, however, were incorrect.

Microsoft Humiliates Siri in Biting Parody of Apple's iPad Ads

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:59:15 +0000

Microsoft says a mouthful in this ad from Crispin Porter + Bogusky. And—surprise!—those words are spoken by Siri, Apple's voice assistant, from an iPad sitting next to a Windows 8 tablet. As the latter wordlessly flips through various features, Siri apologies for being unable to run those programs and perform the same functions. "I'm sorry, I don't update like that," she says. "I'm sorry, I can only do one thing at a time." I half expected a tax app to pop up on the tablet's screen and be greeted by an awkward silence from Siri. Maybe in the sequel. This is Microsoft's second spot in a week to deftly parody a rival's ad style (in this case, Apple's stylish minimalism), following its skewering of Google's Chrome browser. The tablet ad, which references the iPad mini's "Piano" spot from last October, is approaching 2 million views on YouTube in just a couple of days. There are some chatty personal assistants, like Indigo, available for Windows devices. But for my taste, the ultimate Microsoft PA voice would speak in measured, calm-yet-crazy cadences, providing sadly poignant commentary as the OS crashes into a sea of blue when its mind begins to go.

NSA Media Creates Alliance With Wishabi

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:18:05 +0000

Newspaper circulation may continue to drop, but one aspect remains a big draw to consumers: ad circulars. NSA Media, the country's largest buyer of newsprint and print circulars, is integrating that print clout with digital through a new e-circular alliance with Wishabi, a Toronto tech company founded by former Microsoft engineers.

NSA, a unit of Orion Holdings, has clients who collectively spend well over $1 billion annually on media. NSA Media president Steve Mueller says Wishabi's technology has reinvented the e-circular user experience.

“If you go back two to three years, the industry used digital flat files, PDFs, not overly sexy but at the time pioneering,” Mueller explains. “Since then people have changed the way they consume digital. Those flat PDF files are not the way people sit in their living room, with a coffee on a Sunday morning, and search. They want a quick, fast, flow just the way they would look through a newspaper [circular]. ”

With Wishabi technology, consumers can scroll and browse through the circular as they would in print. Wishabi provides real-time personalized content based on consumer profiles, geography, behavior and interests. Retailers can utilize back-end analytics that provide insights into that consumer behavior. Wishabi’s distribution network includes MSN, Tribune Co., Boston Globe and CBS, enabling the company to deliver circulars to over 200 million U.S. consumers. The new alliance extends the reach of NSA clients across multiple digital touchpoints.

NSA’s core competency is data and geo/demo analytics focused on local media. While print will still be a strong component at the IPG Mediabrands division, the Wishabi alliance extends NSA offerings digitally through a national platform.

Embattled P&G CEO Out, Replaced by Predecessor

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:59:48 +0000

Taking a page from the JCPenney playbook, Procter & Gamble is turning to its former CEO to help save a consumer products giant beset by agitated investors and an R&D pipeline that has fizzled in recent years, according to Businessweek.

A.G. Lafley is returning to run the world's largest household products maker, replacing Bob McDonald in the midst of a major restructuring. Lafley is taking on the roles of chairman, president and CEO, effective immediately, while McDonald is set to retire on June 30 after 33 years at P&G, Reuters reported.

The Economist's Schumpeter column wrote that McDonald never seemed entirely comfortable in the leading role he accepted in 2009 at the firm where he had worked for three decades, especially as growth slowed and an activist hedge-fund run by Bill Ackman started to lobby for management change.

McDonald was thought to be in jeopardy of losing his job last summer after a string of reductions to profit forecasts frustrated analysts and investors, and Ackman barreled onto the scene, unveiling a $1.8 billion stake in the company, Forbes reported.

The move, Reuters said, comes as some investors have pushed for faster improvements from the maker of Tide detergent and Gillette razors. P&G unveiled a $10 billion restructuring program in February 2012. Since then, it has cut thousands of jobs and taken other steps to speed up its operations, improve its success with new products and better its performance in fast-growing emerging markets and larger, developed markets such as the United States.

"Bob retired, the board called me and I felt like duty called. I'm back to help maintain the business momentum and keep this productivity program going," Lafley told Reuters.

There was no single reason for McDonald's retirement, Lafley said. "I think it's a number of personal reasons."

Justin Bieber Is Sad About a Lot of Things, but Probably Not the Teen Employment Rate

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:47:21 +0000

Today in weird, leechy Justin Bieber news, we have this new billboard that just went up in Los Angeles speculating on the cause of the young pop star's dramatic descent into sadness, as seen in pretty much everything he does these days. The ad, from a group called the Employment Policies Institute, offers the least likely of explanations for the Biebs' malaise—suggesting it has something to do with the employment status of his millennial-age fans, as it relates to the level of the minimum wage. The irony, of course, is that the billboard will make Bieber even more sad, should he happen to spy it on his express elevator to hell.

Atlanta's Most Infamous Stripper Pimps Charity Advertising Contest

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:34:29 +0000

The Creative Circus, Atlanta's advertising school, has hired the most famous, perhaps infamous, stripper in town to pimp its do-goody-goody advertising contest known as A+, where all the winners receive a pimp cup. They're trying to make Atlanta a "more livable city" one stripper promotion at a time. Blondie is Atlanta legend. I heard about her before I even moved here. She strips at the Clermont Lounge, officially known as the place strippers go to die. Her great trick is crushing cans with her boobs. But she's not all flash and bling. She's a sensitive soul who is also well known for writing poems. (It is considered an honor to receive one.) Watching the promos, created with ad agency Iris, where Blondie is dressed like a ridiculous caricature of a southern belle, posed in front of a plantation and giving advice about how you have to dig deep down to your nasty self and bring it out like The Exorcist, one can only blink and repost. There simply are no words. More videos below.

Adweek's Top 10 Commercials of the Week: May 17-24

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:28:02 +0000

How J.Lo Is Becoming A Wireless Brand

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:28:26 +0000

Jennifer Lopez’s partnership with Verizon Wireless to launch a new mobile brand targeting Latinos is a no-brainer when you consider the surging growth rates of those consumers in the U.S. and their high ownership of smartphones. But positioning the popular singer and actress with the brand was not as simple as it might seem.

In January Verizon enlisted marketing strategist Jeetendr Sehdev, who specializes in celebrity brand partnerships, to position the new Lopez brand, Viva Móvil, in which she is an investor and creative director. His first task, after conducting quantitative and qualitative research, was to identify how her celebrity and the brand aligned in consumer opinion before Viva Móvil was launched.

Interestingly, Sehdev found that Lopez’s success was interpreted differently, according to the degree of acculturation among Hispanic consumers. More assimilated Latinos admired her for her business acumen, those less-acculturated liked her for her rags-to-riches, ‘Jenny From The Block’ persona. An added benefit for Verizon in teaming up with Lopez is her crossover appeal to a more general audience.

“That’s hard to do, especially within Hollywood and mainstream media because you often get stereotyped and she’s been able to break free of that while still resonating with a Hispanic audience,” says Sehdev. “The way we positioned this is that this is more than a Verizon brand; Viva Móvil is a new brand built on upon Jennifer Lopez’s brand equity and identity, with Verizon in partnership. We are creating a celebratory brand shopping experience that like Zumba has an appeal as an across-the-board experience whether you’re Hispanic or not.”

Sehdev, who is the author of the upcoming book Superstar: The Art & Science of Celebrity Branding, oversaw a team that also came up with a retail strategy suited to the target demographic. Viva Móvil, which is opening its first retail store in New York on June 15, will employ bilingual employees and also have children’s play areas since Latinos like to shop together as families.

Lopez is the majority owner in Viva Móvil, which launched at the CTIA wireless industry trade show in Las Vegas this week.

Jell-O Hijacks Twitter's Profane #FML Hashtag, Changes It to Mean 'Fun My Life'

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:04:07 +0000

The ubiquitous Twitter hashtag #FML (there have been 37,000 #FML-tagged tweets in the past seven days alone) is generally understood to be short for an obscene phrase uttered when things are at their bleakest. But now, Jell-O is here to help. The Kraft Foods brand and agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky are trying to hijack #FML and make it stand for "Fun My Life" (rather than doing something else to your life). Between now and June 14, everyone who tweets the #FML hashtag is entered into a pool, from which a certain number will win "Fun My Life" prize packs "specially created to get their life back on track." You can follow along at jelloFML.com, which also shows how the brand is tweeting at #FML-ers.

Ad of the Day: VisitEngland

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:30:44 +0000

Everyone's favorite British Claymation characters are famously fond of taking trips to far-flung places.

In their first Oscar-nominated short, Wallace (a known Wensleydale enthusiast) and Gromit spend a bank holiday traveling to the moon in search of cheese. Now, the duo are staying quite a bit closer to home in a new tourism ad for the VisitEngland campaign.

Once again in the "holiday mood," Wallace proposes that he and Gromit take a vacation by shooting themselves to Timbuktu (or perhaps even farther than that) in a rocket—despite Gromit's sensible suggestion that they stay closer to home and follow the suggestions in a U.K. travel magazine. After packing a few essentials (parachute, trusted travel companion, bestselling book Fifty Shades of Greyhound), Wallace jumps into his latest invention … and accidentally launches himself and his dog straight into the roof of their home.

Wallace finally takes note of Gromit's magazine (always so silly, that Wallace!), and the pair set off in their trusty motorbike to explore all that the U.K. has to offer.

"I never knew there was so much to do!" Wallace exclaims. And judging from the resulting travel photos—dancing at Stonehenge, hunting the Loch Ness Monster, backpacking in Wales, catching a production of Cats—there really are a surprising number of activities to be found in a country roughly the size of Michigan.

Presumably, there was also some pretty good cheese.

CREDITS
Client: VisitEngland
Agency: 4VE, London
Production Company: Aardman Animations
Director: Merlin Crossingham
Creative Director/Art Director: Gary Marjoram
Creative Director/Copywriter: James Maclean
Agency Producer: Jane Edwards
Aardman Producer: Helen Argo
Account Director: Britt Sarony
Project Manager: Ailsa Wakley

Nikola Tesla Takes Down Silicon Valley VCs, but Will It Get Him a Statue?

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:00:56 +0000

Some days it seems almost anybody can make an enjoyable video promoting a Kickstarter project, but these guys get bonus points for simultaneously giving the venture-capital system a big poke in the eye. "Nikola Tesla Pitching Silicon Valley VCs" is a biting look at what might have happened if one of history's greatest inventors had to rely on today's venture capitalists. It also happens to promote a Kickstarter effort to build a WiFi hot spot statue of Tesla in Silicon Valley. What's interesting is that the video isn't some sort of populist celebration of Kickstarter. Instead, it depicts crowdfunding as a stopgap solution to the lack of large-scale vision among venture capitalists, whose tech-industry kingmaking is increasingly being called into question. The team behind the video, a creative project firm called Northern Imagination, admits the clip was pulled together quickly, which probably explains the strange audio levels and Tesla's questionable "Serbian" accent. But it has clearly struck a chord, inspiring GigaOm to write a 1,000-word essay on what the video "says about the state of Silicon Valley." In the meantime, the Tesla statue-raisers could still use your help. As of Thursday morning, they were still nearly $100,000 short of their goal, with only 10 days left. Via Boing Boing.

Arnold Wins Avocados From Mexico

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:08:11 +0000

Mexican avocado producers want consumers to think beyond guacamole and are prepping new marketing initiatives to take the fruit from exotic to everyday use.

Avocados from Mexico, the newly-formed marketing agency for the produce, has selected Arnold Worldwide after a review which began with 52 agency proposals and was cut to 11 shops that presented to AFM. The Havas network beat two other N.Y. finalists, Grey and BBDO, for the integrated assignment. AFM is allocating $36 million to grow the category, which already commands more than 60 percent of the avocados supplied to the U.S. Ketchum also was selected, to lead AFM’s public relations efforts.

In April, Tim O’Connor, the former CEO of the U.S. Potato Board, became chief executive at AFM, a collaboration of the Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association and the Mexican Avocado Producers and Packers. The producers/packers and distributors each used to have independent boards.

O’Connor said Arnold’s strategic thoughts and creative abilities were deciding factors in the outcome of the agency review.

“Arnold came in with the same information as other agencies but had the ability to look at our produce and take it forward in a unique way,” he told Adweek.

Arnold’s first work is expected to launch nationally in July.

This is the agency's latest win since former top regional McCann Erickson and TBWA exec Robert LePlae was named global CEO in January. In February, the agency landed a place on Del Monte Foods’ agency roster when it won Milk-Bone after an agency review. That was followed by the win of digital business from Volvo Cars of North America and, just recently, the addition of Santander Credit Card business, which expands the agency’s relationship with Sovereign\Santander.

Ad for 5,000-Case Limited-Edition Beer Will Disappear After 5,000 Views

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:02:49 +0000

Here's a clever little gimmick. Australia's Cascade Brewery recently made a limited-edition batch of beer with special "experimental" hops from a secret garden in Tasmania's Derwent Valley. There was only enough for 5,000 cases, and so the brewer—with help from Clemenger BBDO in Melbourne—made an ad for it that can only be watched 5,000 times. Check it out below. The special embed code (which can take some time to load) includes a ticker that's counting down to zero. "Whether you caught the film in time or not, make sure you don't miss the beer," the brewer says on its website. Come on, people, we can make this thing obsolete within the hour if we put our minds to it. Via The Denver Egotist.

UPDATE: Video has been having trouble loading—either that or it hit 5,000 and ran.

Lego Builds Awesome Life-Size Star Wars X-Wing Fighter, Its Largest Model Ever

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:30:48 +0000

Lego has unveiled a life-size Star Wars X-Wing fighter jet made entirely of Legos in Times Square. It promotes an upcoming Cartoon Network show called The Yoda Chronicles. You can also see a life-size Lego Chewy, Vader, R2-D2, C-3PO and Boba Fett in the promo for the show. But the X-Wing has the distinction of being the largest Lego structure built to date. At 11 feet tall, 43 feet long, 44 feet wide and almost 46,000 pounds, it's made of 5,335,200 individual Lego bricks. It took 32 people four months just to put it together. And you can climb into the cockpit for a photo. Which means all you Star Wars and Lego fans must make a pilgrimage to this, the largest and most awesome Lego thing ever made, and get a picture of your child sitting in the cockpit shouting "Pew! Pew!" See lots more photos at Gizmodo.

Cadillac Nears Decision in Creative Review

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:09:48 +0000

Earlier this year, Cadillac announced a review shortly after news reports leaked that the GM brand planned to move its creative account, sans pitch, to Campbell Ewald.

Last week, more than a dozen top Cadillac executives heard presentations from the four agency teams pitching for lead creative duties on the automaker's $250 million U.S. account. Interpublic Group’s bid consists of Campbell Ewald, Hill Holliday, and Lowe. Omnicom put forward DDB. Publicis Groupe offered a mix of executives from Digitas and Publicis. The incumbent, Publicis Groupe-owned Fallon, also defended.

Adweek sat down with longtime GM exec and newly appointed Cadillac advertising director Craig Bierley to chat about what he saw, where the review is headed, and whether it has really been a fair fight.

ADWEEK: What’d you think of the presentations?

CRAIG BIERLEY: Four world-class groups of people came in. They spent a lot of time and energy thinking about our brand. They all had great ideas. They all delivered really solid, solid work. Some were better than others. There's parts of each team we like better than other parts of each team. Strategy over here might work better with this creative but you don't get to do that [laughs]. So you have to find the best group of people that you think will work together.

Are you going to narrow to a field of two final contenders?

No. At this point, we've got to get down the road. So where we need to ask follow-up questions, we're asking follow-up questions right now. Where we don't, we're not. Our goal is to have an agency selected by the middle of June.

Are you going to be testing any of the ideas with consumers before you make a decision?

They had done some of that. But no. Here’s the thing: All four of them can do good work. Yes it's about evaluating the work that's in front of you, but the work is a process. None of them we're going to say like, "Oh!" [Claps] Let's go make that." It's who do you think can get you there. Who's got it. Where's your chemistry.

Advertising is iterative. It’s “There's parts of that that work, and maybe that doesn't work, and let's try again.” And then you refine it with consumers. The reason why you do research is to refine the message. Not to make your decisions for you.

You worked closely with Leo Burnett on Buick. Why aren’t they participating?

I love the guys at Leo Burnett. I thought we did great work on Buick. I would love, in some respects, to continue to work with them. Leo Burnett has conflicts globally. Part of the spec on this was to help us think through how we do this thing globally. Additionally, the Detroit Leo Burnett office has Buick, GMC and Chevy Silverado.

[Also,] my boss, Bob Ferguson, the head of global Cadillac, went to Maurice [Lévy, CEO of Publicis Groupe] and said, “We're going to put this up for bid. We understand Fallon wants to participate, but we'd like another Publicis bid too. You put together the best of the best, inside of your organization, and that's who we'd like to talk to.” At that point it was up to Maurice.

You’re collecting an Effie for your work with Fallon in the midst of this review. What more were you looking for that wasn’t there?

It’s not an indictment of Fallon's capabilities and what they've done. It's us saying you know what, we have a huge opportunity in front of us. Three new product launches. Two new products are still launching. We've got this huge global growth plan that we want to execute. It's time for us to stand back and say let's bring in the best minds in the business. Let's have them contribute their thoughts and ideas, and look at them all and see who's the right partner to go forward with. It could be Fallon. It could be IPG. It's based on our desire to challenge ourselves to make sure we're bringing the right stuff together.

Speaking of global conflicts, any concerns about DDB doing work with Volkswagen outside of the US?

There wasn't a concern about that. We could work through that.

Do you see yourself ending this process with one agency the world over?

Don't know yet.

We've got eight to nine agencies contributing to Cadillac right now around the world. We need to construct a model that we don't have eight to nine fiefdoms running our creative communications. There’s one Cadillac brand. Is there a unifying idea? What does that want to be? And then how does that filter into the work and creative and the asset acquisition and all of that? And then what's the best way to manage and control my job globally, so that, if you're a businessperson, and you live in Los Angeles and you go on a business trip to China, and you see a Cadillac ad and you're like, “What was that? That has nothing to do with the Cadillac I think about.” Because it's one brand. Cartier and Vuitton and Hermes—they're the same everywhere.

So you might end up with one agency leading the strategic and global thinking for the brand but still have some partners in other markets helping execute?

Yeah, it could be that. We asked each of them to come up with a model. They're all very different in terms of their approach. That's not the key factor in this, but you know we wanted to get thinking on that, and start working through that. Because global Cadillac is a relatively new creation and structurally we haven’t even finished how we're going to do that.

There’s something of a perception in the marketplace, based in part on how the news of the review broke, that this has always been a shoo-in for Campbell Ewald …

That was unfortunate because we were going to do a review. I don't really know how that happened. I don't know who said what to who. It wasn't inside our building. We felt it was important to do a review, not just to award the business in some way. This review was completely open. Transparent. And fair. Everybody had an equal shot going into this. There wasn't favoritism. I can tell you that my time [and] my team's time has been equally distributed across four agencies, to the point of fairness like I've never seen before.

Where I had one conversation with one agency that lasted a couple hours, I felt obligated to then have that same couple hours with each of the other agencies. And I did it in different ways. Some Fallon people came to see me. Talked to some folks at IPG. Went out and met with people at DDB. I was here for another meeting with the Publicis folks as a follow up. We did chemistry visits, they were all the same amount of time. … We were incredibly fair throughout this entire process. To a fault. And yes, you know somebody put the cart in front of the horse when they're really wasn't something there. Trying to force an issue. We still don't know who did that. But it wasn't inside our building.

Chevy Releases Extended Volt Spot, Now With More Robot Dog

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:07:26 +0000

This Chevy Volt ad, titled "Silent Anthem," is an extended version of the Volt footage we saw in the "Find New Roads" launch spot in February. Visually, it's interesting, although it's as much an ad for wind farms and iPads and robot dogs as it is for the Volt. The deer/dog moment at the end is pretty barfy, too, but at least this campaign reaches for something beyond the norm. The Volt bookended the launch spot, which made it feel like the focus of it. But the other vehicles in it have been getting their own individual :60s as well. Check out three of those after the jump.

IPG Shareholders Reject 2 Proposals, Including Gender and Race Reporting

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:02:57 +0000

Interpublic Group shareholders, at their annual meeting today, rejected a proposal that would have required the company to publicly report on the number of minorities and women it employs.

The measure called on IPG to provide a “comprehensive breakdown of its workforce by race and gender according to 10 employment categories,” beginning this year. Under federal law, companies with more than 100 employees already provide such data annually to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Michael Roth

Nevertheless, the proposal garnered little support, with fewer than 7 percent of the voting shareholders supporting it. About 77 percent voted against it and the rest abstained.

IPG management opposed the measure, suggesting it was unnecessary, given the company’s ongoing efforts to promote diversity and inclusion.

Another proposal, calling for IPG to slow the vesting of equity awards that top management can get if the company is sold, also was rejected. However, more than a third of the voting shareholders (38 percent) supported it. Still, in sync with management’s opposition, 61 percent voted no.

Also at the meeting, which was steered by IPG CEO and board chairman Michael Roth, shareholders reelected all nine members of IPG’s board and reappointed longtime outside auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Support for board members ranged from 94 percent for Roth to 99 percent for four others: David Thomas, William Kerr, Mary Steele Guilfoile and Jocelyn Carter-Miller. Each election is for one year.

About 75 people attended the meeting, which lasted 40 minutes and took place at the McGraw-Hill Building in New York.

Y&R Asks You to Define What #AdvertisingIs

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:41:39 +0000

Young & Rubicam is celebrating its 90th anniversary with a fun project in New York that, fittingly, brings old and new together. It's a billboard in Times Square that will feature—from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon—a giant mosaic of tweets and Facebook posts from everyone who has posted a message with the hashtag #advertisingis. Thus, you still have a little while to get your social-media account up in lights with a post on that topic. The company doing the mosaic is Hyperactivate, which is part of Y&R's Spark Plug incubator program, which we wrote about last year. We'll have a photo of the billboard later this afternoon. For now, check out Y&R's 90th anniversary reel, featuring the work the agency is most proud of through the years.

#Advertisingis "...yes mom, we make commercials, like the ones you see on TV. No, mom, I didn't make that one."
— Javier O. Garcia (@OG_Jav) May 22, 2013

Having Shipped Its Pants, Kmart Now Offers You 'Big Gas Savings'

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:48:59 +0000

Kmart's "Ship My Pants" ad was a major success, to the tune of 17 million YouTube views and counting. But can Draftfcb turn almost-profanity into a running gag for the retailer? It attempts to do so with this follow-up spot, "Big Gas Savings," which features some big-gas humor indeed. It even features the same family from "Ship My Pants," and once again the kid gets the best line. (In the earlier spot, he blurted out, "I can't wait to ship my pants, Dad." Here, he shouts, "Dad, look at that big gas truck!") It's not quite as funny as the original, perhaps, but it seems destined to get similarly big-gas numbers on YouTube. And if nothing else, the #biggassavings hashtag clinches it. Credits below.

CREDITS
Client: Kmart
Chief Marketing Officer: Andrew Stein
Vice President, Creative: Mark Andeer

Agency: Draftfcb
Chief Creative Officer: Todd Tilford
Executive Creative Director: Jon Flannery
Creative Director, Copywriter: Berk Wasserman
Creative Director: Todd Durston
Group Executive Producer, Agency Producer: Chris Bing

Production Company: Bob Industries
Executive Producers: T.K. Knowles, John O'Grady, Chuck Ryant
Producer: Brian Etting
Director: Zach Math

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Prepares for the French Open by Practicing Against Twitter

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:18:16 +0000

French tennis star Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is preparing to play against a robot. Surprisingly, it's not Roger Federer, renowned for his robotically stiff commercial acting and machine-like winning ways (including those 17 Grand Slam singles titles). Today at 11 a.m. ET, at a practice session for the French Open, Tsonga will take on an actual automaton, which will try to hit shots past the world's eighth-ranked player based on tweets supplied by fans as part of a promotion for banking giant BNP Paribas (and agency We Are Social).

Fans visiting the Tweet & Shoot site can log in with Twitter and drag and drop tennis-ball icons to set up virtual shots, which are then encoded as hashtagged tweets which the on-court bionic Borg will decipher—and then spit out a real ball for Tsonga to hit. Users are also encouraged to include messages of encouragement to Jo-Wilfried, who has never won a Grand Slam event. Forty fans chosen by BNP's social communities are guaranteed to have their shots included at Tsonga's session with the robot. The rest will be picked at random from among the tweets. Folks with no lives whatsoever can check out Tweet & Shoot's streaming coverage of the event at the link above. Maybe the bot will blow a fuse, leap over the net and swat Tsonga like a fly.

Firehouse Combines Business Consulting With Advertising Work

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:54:35 +0000

Specs
Who (l. to r.) Tripp Westbrook, partner, executive creative director; Steve Smith, partner, planning insights; Mark Hall, president, founder; Doug Miller, partner, finance and options
What Advertising agency
Where Dallas offices

Farmers markets have always held snob appeal for urban foodies seeking organic produce. To promote the Dallas Farmers Market, Firehouse puts out a different message: Lower-income shoppers looking for the cheapest option can buy their healthiest ones now that their local farmers market takes public assistance benefits. The campaign also encourages local farmers to participate. Firehouse started in 1997 when Richards Group vet Mark Hall landed assignments from Nokia and Dr Pepper. Hall has since added talent like GSD&M’s Tripp Westbrook, whose father Bill is the former CCO at Fallon.

How KitchenAid Gave Us the World’s Coolest Mixer

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:53:15 +0000

With The Great Gatsby in theaters and everyone suddenly falling in love with the glamor of the 1920s, now’s a fitting time to take a look at one of the Machine Age’s legendary machines. What’s more, unlike Model A’s and Victrolas, this one never went out of style. It’s the KitchenAid stand mixer, introduced in the ’20s, made famous in the ’40s and still the king of the countertop.

At first glance, these ads from 1946 and today are emblematic of the power of heritage branding. The mixer that was a sleek, solid appliance in kitchens of yesteryear has, with very few changes, magically become the consummate retro status symbol. How else to explain the shift from busy-baking housewife to the sexy close-up shot of that buxom, seven-quart bowl? But according to Janie Curtis, lead brand architect for the Telocity Group, the resurgence of retro styling is just one part of the mix here.

“On the surface these are very different ads,” she said. “But if you look closer, you’ll see that they’re both saying the same thing. What’s being reflected is stylistically different but strategically similar.” Put another way, while this mighty little mixer represents all the good things that progressive modernity implies, it’s also an uncomfortable reminder of how far we haven’t come.

In 1919, a housewife invited to test a new countertop mixer called the H-5 exclaimed, “I don’t care what you call it, but I know it’s the best kitchen aid I’ve ever had!” That’s how the machine got its name. It got its following when an all-female sales force—unheard of at the time—sold the 65-pound machine door to door. Pricey as it was, the KitchenAid was an enormous hit: 20,000 sold in three years. Its many innovations included a “planetary action” mixing bowl and a slew of attachments that cut baking time in half. One early promo even promised men that they could “keep your wife young” by buying her the labor-saving appliance. It’s a theme that carries through the 1946 ad here: The wife with the KitchenAid enjoys “more power” to her.

As Curtis observes, the promise of top performance has, like the mixer itself, remained largely unchanged. The 2013 ad speaks of power, too—the ability to make “more batches” with a “magnificent mixing muscle.” And yet, even as a beautifully styled photograph of the machine has replaced the stereotypical happy housewife motif, Curtis finds a chilly undercurrent to consumers’ love affair with chrome-slathered industrial appliances like the KitchenAid.

“Everyone is falling in love with retro design, but my perspective is that the marketing is polarized,” Curtis said. “While we love the sleek, clean, vintage lines, we’re also at the human stage right now where we’re all a bit insecure and are looking subconsciously back to remind ourselves of an old time when everyone was in love with grandma and cookies.” Curtis adds that, while there may be no housewife in the 2013 ad, the copy is still addressing her—and whispering the same message: cook more, bake more, work more. “There isn’t much difference between ‘More Power to You’ and more power to help you make more recipes,” Curtis noted. “The message to women, sadly, is unchanged.”

Still, you have to admit, it’s one beautiful looking mixer.

Kawasaki and 'Lone Ranger' Ride Together in Multifaceted Campaign

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:00:03 +0000

If you've never throttled-up a dirt bike or a four-wheeler across an open terrain but have ridden a horse, well, they're similarly bumpy-but-fun experiences. So Kawasaki's new partnership with Disney's gallop-happy Lone Ranger flick—starring Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as the masked man—to push the brand's motorcycles and off-road vehicles makes a bit of sense, doesn't it?

"It's actually a big step for us, stepping out with a tent-pole movie with Disney," Chris Brull, marketing director at Kawasaki, told Adweek. "Typically, we keep our promotions within the power-sport industry. Our bikes are normally driven by enthusiasts, whether it be two-wheelers or four-wheelers. With this campaign, we are associating with other premium brands. Simply, all of the people who buy our motor bikes also purchase movie tickets."

His San Diego-based company's integrated campaign debuts today. But interestingly, the Disney deal involves a third partner, Subway, which will adorn its point-of-sale counters and windows with the Kawasaki and Lone Ranger brands in its 26,000 stores nationwide while leading up to the movie's July 3 release date. Additionally, Kawasaki and the film will appear via the quick-serve sandwich chain's TV and digital advertising.

"We are working very closely with Subway," Brull explained. "About 34 million head into those stores during a week—so that definitely made sense from a business standpoint."

In an effort led by Chicago-based agency Tris3ct, 30-second TV spots will run during live sports on CBS and NBC, as well as ESPN and ESPN2, highlighting Kawasaki's Ninja bike, KX dirt bike and Teryx4 off-road vehicle. The commercials will live online, too, along with a Web-only teaser video. The campaign involves 15-second pre-roll promos and companion display ads on various publisher sites. Local radio inventory is also being purchased, while print ads are running in Cycle World and Off-Road Adventure magazines.

A text-and-win mobile sweepstakes will be in play, offering 500 free Lone Ranger tickets. And a grand prize winner—who gets a Teryx4—will be announced in the coming weeks on Good Morning America while getting pushed at GMA.Yahoo.com. Subway will promote the sweeps as well.

Meanwhile, Brull said his brand syncs up with the movie on multiple levels. "Our products align well with that Johnny Depp swagger," he said. "There's an outdoors-lifestyle element that registers, too."

Speaking of outside, with a Lone Ranger campaign that essentially began during Super Bowl season, one should probably expect "Hi-yo, Silver! Away!" to be yelled much more often than usual from the park playgrounds and front yards of America this summer.

Haynes Johnson, Journalist and Author, Dies at 81

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:49:23 +0000

Mr. Johnson was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, television commentator and author who spent most of his career at The Washington Post and won wide acclaim for his coverage of the capital.

World Briefing | Europe: Turkey: Legislation Would Limit Sales of Alcohol and Ban Advertising for It

Sat, 25 May 2013 01:15:00 +0000

The measure also bans the sale of alcoholic drinks between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., except in tourist zones, and prohibits alcohol sales near mosques and schools.

Mike Darnell, a Reality Show Creator, Is Leaving Fox

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:46:05 +0000

Mike Darnell, who has supervised reality programming for Fox since before the term reality show entered the lexicon, oversaw “American Idol,” once the most popular show on American TV.

Reporters See Chilling Effect From Justice Dept. Inquiries

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:43:58 +0000

Despite President Obama’s conciliatory gesture of a review of Justice Department investigations involving journalists, some reporters say that chill has already set in.

Twitter Lets Brands Find Viewers of Their TV Ads

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:54:17 +0000

A new product, Twitter Amplify, will help brands match advertisements with Twitter commentary by viewers.

News Corporation Board Approves Split of Company

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:14:15 +0000

The company is expected to complete its separation on June 28, with publishing assets in one company and most film and television units in another.

Billy Joel on Not Working and Not Giving Up Drinking

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:00:17 +0000

And not caring what Elton John says about any of it.

Obama, Offering Support for Press Freedom, Orders Review of Leak Investigations

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:50:49 +0000

President Obama asked Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to scrutinize Justice Department investigations and said he was “troubled” that such inquiries could hinder reporters.

Advertising: Robert Murray of iProspect Joins Skyword as President

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:32:12 +0000

Content marketing is expected to be a big growth area for the ad industry and Robert J. Murray, global president of iProspect, a leading digital agency, is signing up.

‘Arrested Development’ Returns on Netflix

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:10:17 +0000

“Arrested Development,” which became a cult hit after its cancellation in 2006, returns as a Netflix download series on Sunday.

Billy Crystal Returns to TV in FX Pilot

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:16:06 +0000

The sitcom, which is likely to have additional episodes produced, has Mr. Crystal playing a once-great comic who tries to revive his career.

Changes in the Marketing of Men’s Underwear

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:12:49 +0000

The product, rather than the model’s body, may be the focus of new campaigns. Or not.

Advertising: Mike’s, a Flavored Alcohol Brand, Tries to Widen Its Appeal

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:59:10 +0000

A new campaign suggests that Mike’s Hard Lemonade is a versatile drink for occasions beyond the backyard barbecue.

In China, Hacking Has Widespread Acceptance

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:56:03 +0000

Hacking in China thrives across official, corporate and criminal worlds and is openly discussed and promoted, whether for breaking into private networks, tracking dissent or stealing trade secrets.

Wal-Mart Hires Former Bush Aide as Chief Image Maker

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:46:26 +0000

Dan Bartlett, a former adviser to President George W. Bush, will succeed Leslie Dach, a former Clinton White House staff member, as executive vice president for corporate affairs.

Penguin to Pay $75 Million in E-Book Settlement With States

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:00:31 +0000

The agreement is subject to court approval. Penguin settled a similar claim with the Justice Department in December.

Robin Roberts to Write a Memoir

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:35:29 +0000

The book, which is set for publication next year, will detail her experiences with life-threatening illnesses.

CBS to Keep Airing Tony Awards Through 2018

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:42:34 +0000

Under a new deal, the network will continue what has already become a 35-year tradition.

Advertising: Army Tries a Reality Style for Recruitment

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:53:13 +0000

The Army is trying to produce commercials styled like a television reality series because younger people increasingly ignore traditional forms of advertising.

Xbox One Enters Changed Gaming Landscape

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:47:28 +0000

Microsoft’s new game console also serves as a home entertainment hub, a response to the rising popularity of mobile devices for playing games.

Paul Finebaum Joins ESPN

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:46:39 +0000

Paul Finebaum, the radio host known for his popular college football show, will reportedly start his new job Aug. 1.

Bits Blog: Tumblr Founder Says Site to Stay ‘Independent’

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:25:28 +0000

A day after Yahoo’s board approved a deal to acquire Tumblr, Marissa Mayer, Yahoo’s chief, and David Karp, Tumblr’s founder, reassured users that Tumblr would operate as it did before.

A Pearl Buck Novel, New After 4 Decades

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:00:02 +0000

“The Eternal Wonder,” an unpublished novel by Pearl S. Buck that surfaced last year in a storage unit, is to be released this fall by Open Road Integrated Media.

ESPN Is Cutting 300 to 400 Jobs

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:48:19 +0000

The reductions, through layoffs and by leaving positions unfilled, come after a companywide efficiency review by the Walt Disney Company, which owns the sports network.

Dennis K. Burke Criticized for ‘Fast and Furious’ Leak

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:29:33 +0000

The Justice Department called prosecutor Dennis K. Burke’s actions related to the release of a memo about a federal agent involved in the “Fast and Furious” investigation “particularly egregious.”

Mike Darnell Steps Down as Fox Reality Capo

Anthony Crupi — Sat, 25 May 2013 02:48:16 +0000

Nearly 20 years into a stint that saw him steer an unscripted slate that included the likes of When Animals Attack! and American Idol, Fox president of alternative entertainment Mike Darnell is leaving the network.

Sources said that while Fox looked to retain Darnell’s services, the 51-year-old programmer has decided to part ways with the broadcaster after his contract expires on June 30. In a statement released Friday night, Darnell said that he simply wants to “try something new.”

“I’ve been in ‘reality’ since before it was even called that, and it has truly been an amazing ride,” Darnell said. “However, the world has changed drastically over the last few years, and now with hundreds of channels and limitless ways to watch television, I’ve decided this was the perfect time to take advantage of the rapidly changing marketplace.”

Fox is expected to begin searching for Darnell’s replacement after the Memorial Day break.

Over the course of his colorful career, Darnell oversaw a number of monster hits, including the unimpeachable Idol franchise. And regardless of what the intelligentsia may have thought about lowest-common-denominator fare like Temptation Island and My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé, these curiosities scared up ratings that the current broadcast environment cannot deliver. The first season of Temptation Island drew a whopping 9.0 in the 18-49 demo, while MBFOF averaged a 7.9 over the course of its six-episode run.

Darnell’s departure comes on the heels of a particularly tough run for American Idol, which in Season 12 averaged 13.2 million viewers and a 3.8 in the all-important 18-49 demo. (While that was a steep decline from Idol’s heyday, the show still ranks among broadcast’s top five shows.)

Idol remains a cash cow for Fox, but if the show is to continue generating in excess of $800 million in annual ad sales revenue, it must make some bold staffing moves. Reports have Kelly Rowland joining the judges’ panel in 2014; Idol could do worse than hire a few of her fellow alums. (Kelly Clarkson is perhaps the most successful Idol veteran and it’s not like Katharine McPhee has any conflicting TV commitments.)

News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch bade farewell to Darnell, lauding the outgoing exec for taking risks and proving himself “a pioneering force in shaping the reality programming genre that exists today." Murdoch went on to characterize Darnell as “a smart and fearless executive who will be missed.”

Fox scheduler emeritus Preston Beckman also gave Darnell a shout-out.

Ad of the Day: Dodge

Tim Nudd — Fri, 24 May 2013 18:27:23 +0000

Dodge and W+K have glimpsed the future before. Maybe we could use the Dart's time machine to go back and make this Charger spot a :60?

CREDITS
Clients: Dodge, Syfy
Project: Dodge Charger | Defiance

Production Company: MJZ
Director: Nicolai Fuglsig
Executive Producer: Emme Wilcockson
Line Producer: James Blom
Director of Photography: Robert Elswit

Editorial Company: Rock, Paper Scissors
Editor: Stewart Reeves
Post Producer: Alexandra Zickerick
Post Executive Producer: Carol Lynn Weaver

Music+Sound Company: Stimmung
Sound Designer: Gus Koven
Producer: Ceinwyn Clark

Mix Company: Lime Studios
Mixer: Mark Meyuhas
Producer: Jessica Locke

Rapture-Palooza Star Anna Kendrick Is Addicted to Reddit

Emma Bazilian — Fri, 24 May 2013 04:27:37 +0000

Specs
Who Anna Kendrick
Age 27
Accomplishments Starring in Rapture-Palooza (in theaters June 7) and Drinking Buddies (Aug. 23); played a cappella prodigy Beca Mitchell in last year’s Pitch Perfect
Base Los Angeles

What’s the first information you consume in the morning?
I still haven’t bought a clock radio, so I look at my phone to check the time. And then I’ll see that I’ve got texts and emails. So then I’m just up because I’m afraid that somebody’s died in the middle of the night.

How do you get your news?
I’m addicted to Reddit. I spend a lot of time there, probably more than I should, but it’s definitely one of the first things that I check in the morning. That’s how I found out about the theater shooting in Aurora because someone who worked there had posted about it. It’s amazing—that site gets information faster than anybody.

Are you a fan of any particular subreddits?
Sometimes I’ll go to the “Get Motivated” subreddit just to get me off Reddit … There was one this morning that literally said, “Whatever you’re supposed to be doing right now, go fucking do it,” and I was like, “Aye aye, Reddit!”

What occupies you in the car?
I like to listen to This American Life in the car. There is something really soothing about it. They present stories in a way that’s not overwhelming, even if it’s really intense.

How do you listen to music?
I just got into Spotify. It’s a game-changer. Weirdly, I’m in this rut where I haven’t been listening to a lot of new music, so I’m actively looking for recommendations. I’ve been listening to comedy albums, like Paul Tompkins and Maria Bamford and Eugene Mirman, which is actually really fun when you’re getting ready in the morning. It totally gets me pumped for the day.

Are you a TV junkie?
Not really. I didn’t own a TV for years, so I almost forget that it’s available sometimes. But there are certain shows that I’ll obsess over. I finally just watched all of Girls straight through. And I’m a big Game of Thrones fan.

How do you wind down at bedtime?
I’ve been reading this book, Sex at Dawn, which is fascinating but dense. It’s about sexual anthropology, and it was recommended by Dan Savage, who I adore.

Give us the skinny on your favorite app.
You know what somebody just got me into? Snapchat! It’s totally for teenagers to send each other dirty pictures, but I use it to send my friends ugly faces throughout the day. I spend so much time trying to look nice and smile and never take an unflattering photo that there’s something deeply satisfying about making the ugliest face I can make, and knowing that somebody is going to see it for five seconds.

What’s your biggest digital indulgence?
I got my house done so that I can control everything from my phone, which is kind of dorky but really fun. And probably a lot more money than I should have spent for stuff that I could do with wall switches.

With such a bloated media universe, how do you cut out the fat?
I’ll let you know when I figure it out.

Lego Builds Awesome Life-Size Star Wars X-Wing Fighter, Its Largest Model Ever

Rebecca Cullers — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:30:48 +0000

CBS Picks Up Bad Teacher

Anthony Crupi — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:09:51 +0000

A week after presenting its 2013-14 prime-time schedule at Carnegie Hall, CBS on Wednesday announced it has picked up another new series.

The network has scooped up Sony Pictures Television’s Bad Teacher, a single-camera comedy based on the Cameron Diaz film of the same name. (Released in July 2011, the movie grossed $100.3 million stateside.)

All told, it’s been one hell of a development season for Sony TV, which is producing eight new broadcast series. Other Sony newbies are: The Michael J. Fox Show, Welcome to the Family, Night Shift (originally titled After Hours) and The Blacklist (NBC); Rake and Us and Them (Fox); and ABC’s The Goldbergs.

Actress Ari Graynor (Mystic River, Fringe) will portray the character originated by Diaz. Other cast members include Kristin Davis (Sex and the City), David Alan Grier (In Living Color) and Sara Gilbert (Roseanne).

Bad Teacher joins a CBS freshman class that is particularly heavy on comedy. We Are Men breaks into the Monday night comedy lineup at 8:30 p.m., where it will lead out of How I Met Your Mother. At 9:30 p.m., Chuck Lorre’s Mom inherits the plum post-2 Broke Girls slot from Mike & Molly, which will return in mid-season.

After years of speculation, CBS has finally beefed up its Thursday night comedy lineup, adding two half-hour series with big stars attached. The Millers (8:30 p.m.) stars Will Arnett, Beau Bridges and Margo Martindale, and The Crazy Ones is a vehicle for Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Crazy marks Williams’ return to series television for the first time since Mork signed off to Orson for the last time in 1982.

Also in the hopper is the midseason James Van Der Beek/Brooklyn Decker sitcom, Friends with Better Lives (20th Century Fox Television).

CBS’ comedy investment is its most ambitious in recent memory. Last season, the network ordered just two sitcoms, Partners and Friend Me. The former was canceled after just six episodes, while the latter never made it to air.

Bad Teacher is the second new comedy based on a theatrical. NBC’s midseason entry About a Boy will lead out of The Voice in the Tuesday 9 p.m. slot.

CBS Wins Prime-Time Ratings Crown

Anthony Crupi — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:09:06 +0000

After passing NBC in the ratings race back in early February, CBS never looked back, cruising to an easy win among total viewers and the two major demographics.

Per Nielsen, CBS will close out the 2012-13 broadcast TV season with an average prime-time delivery of 11.9 million viewers per night. The network beat runner-up ABC by 4 million viewers, giving it the largest margin of victory in 24 years.

CBS also cleaned up in the dollar demos, averaging a 2.9 among adults 18-49 and a 3.8 with the 25-54 set. This marks the first time in 21 years that the Tiffany Network has emerged victorious in the 18-49 race.

With 34 weeks of ratings data on the books (tonight marks the official end of the 2012-13 campaign), each of the five English-language broadcasters is down versus the year-ago period. Thanks to the Super Bowl and a robust lineup of hits like NCIS, The Big Bang Theory and Elementary, CBS dipped just 3 percent in the 18-49 demo.

Things were dicier at Fox, which dropped 22 percent to a 2.5 rating, snapping its eight-year winning streak. After getting off to a hot start in the fall, NBC cratered in the absence of Sunday Night Football and The Voice—the show went on a three-month hiatus from Dec. 18-March 25—and fell out of the running for good on week 19. The Peacock concludes the season with a 2.4 in the demo, down 4 percent versus 2011-12.

ABC again finished last among the Big Four, averaging a 2.2 in the demo, a decline of 12 percent. The CW’s 18-49 ratings (0.7, down 13 percent) are effectively irrelevant, given that the network guarantees deliveries of women 18-34 and adults 18-34.

The Spanish-language broadcasters Univision and Telemundo were the only major networks that did not lose ground. On the heels of beating NBC in February sweeps, Univision this season averaged a 1.5 in the demo—flat versus last year. Telemundo averaged a 0.6, an improvement of one-tenth of a ratings point.

Along with the ratings erosion, the networks all aged up to varying degrees. CBS remains the oldest net, reaching a median age of 56.2 years, up from the year-ago 55.6. ABC is the next-grayest net (53.3 years, up from 52.3), while NBC is a hair shy of the big 5-0 (49.6, up three-tenths of a point from 49.3).

Fox aged up from 46.2 to 46.6 years, while the CW’s median age jumped 12 percent from 37.1 to 41.7 years.  

For the second consecutive season, NBC’s Sunday Night Football was the biggest draw in prime time, averaging 21.4 million viewers and an 8.2 in the dollar demo. The Sunday national games on Fox actually outdrew everything on the tube, delivering an average 24.8 million viewers. CBS also put up gaudy numbers with its late NFL broadcasts, averaging 23 million viewers per game.

After SNF, the top-rated broadcast series were: CBS’ The Big Bang Theory (5.3), Season 3 of NBC’s The Voice (4.3), Season 4 of The Voice (4.2 through the first 18 episodes) and ABC’s Modern Family (4.2). All deliveries are calculated from Nielsen live-plus-same-day ratings data, which is statistically consistent with the C3 currency.

Leaving off the current season of The Voice (eight episodes remain), Fox’s American Idol (3.8) claims the No. 5 slot. Modern Family’s Season 4 finale airs tonight.

Of the 36 scripted series that debuted this season, 23 will not return for a second season. CBS renewed one of its five new shows (Elementary); Fox returned two (The Mindy Project, The Following); NBC gave a vote of confidence to a pair of dramas (Revolution, Chicago Fire), ABC brought back two (Nashville, The Neighbors) and the CW renewed three (Arrow, The Carrie Diaries, Beauty and the Beast).

NBC was particularly unforgiving, killing off five freshman comedies (Go On, The New Normal, Guys with Kids, Animal Practice, 1600 Penn), canceling the Dane Cook sitcom Next Caller before it ever aired, and relegating Save Me to a May 23 start date. No decision has been made as to Hannibal’s status.

The biggest winners from this year’s crop of newcomers? Fox’s The Following (2.6 in the 18-49 demo), NBC’s Revolution (2.6 with two episodes to go) and CBS’ Elementary (2.5 including the post-Super Bowl installment; 2.3 without).

All told, the Big Four’s new scripted series averaged a miserly 1.6 in the demo. Thankfully, the 2013-14 development slate appears to be far more promising than what was served up this season.

Yankees, Manchester City Team Up for MLS Launch

Anthony Crupi — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:00:02 +0000

Two of the world’s most prominent sports franchises have joined forces to bring a new Major League Soccer club to New York.

The New York Yankees and Manchester City Football Club announced today that they will scrape together the necessary funds to launch the 20th MLS team, with plans to begin play in a yet-to-be-identified Gotham venue in 2015.

While financial details were not disclosed by either the Yankees or Man City, it is believed that the cost of getting New York City FC off the ground will work out to around $100 million. The Yankees are believed to be willing to front a quarter of the startup cash, while majority owner Man City will shoulder the lion’s share of the burden.

The last expansion team to join the MLS was the Montreal Impact, which played its first season in 2012. Owner Joey Saputo and his investors ponied up approximately $40 million in startup fees.

With a net value of $2.3 billion, the Yankees are the nation’s most valuable sports team—and third in the world behind Real Madrid ($3.3 billion) and Manchester United ($3.17 billion). Forbes estimates Man City’s value at $689 million.

Man City in 2012 won its first English Premier League title in 44 years. The club this year finished a rung below its crosstown rivals. (Man U in April won its 13th EPL crown with a 3-0 win over Aston Villa.)

“We are thrilled to contribute to the energy and growth of New York City soccer,” said Man City CEO Ferran Soriano, by way of announcing the deal. “In the Yankees, we have found the absolute best partner for developing a world-class sports organization.”

The Yankees and the EPL club have an existing commercial relationship through the international entertainment/marketing organization Legends Hospitality, LLC.

“We are pleased to be associated with this major move by MLS to increase its presence in the New York market and to enhance the opportunity for New York soccer fans to enjoy high-level play in their own city,” said Hal Steinbrenner, managing general partner of the New York Yankees. “We look forward to the opportunity to work with Manchester City to create something very special for the soccer fans of New York—and to bringing another terrific team to this city for all sports fans to enjoy.”

Yankees president Randy Levine will serve as the point person in leading the effort to launch and establish NYC FC, which joins the New York Red Bulls as the area’s second MLS club.

While the two investors plan to build a new stadium in New York, no one expects a project of that magnitude to be completed in time for the expansion team’s inaugural season. As such, NYC FC will play its 2015 home games at an interim facility.

Levine today said it’s possible that the new club will play its opening season on the Kentucky Bluegrass of Yankee Stadium, adding that the organizations will assess all local options. (The House That George Built will host a friendly between Man City and Chelsea on May 25. On that same day, the Yankees will be in the middle of a three-game stint in Tampa.)

Media rights were not disclosed, but it’s a given that NYC FC will find a home on the YES Network. Per SNL Kagan estimates, YES in 2013 is on track to generate $466.7 million in affiliate fees and another $73.2 million in ad sales revenue.

More details will be made available during a joint press conference that will be held in New York tomorrow at 10 a.m.

ESPN Lays Off More Than 100 Employees

Anthony Crupi — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:39:03 +0000

ESPN on Tuesday began making a significant reduction of its work force, laying off more than 100 employees at its Bristol, Conn., headquarters and in at least one regional technology center.

While a precise headcount has not been confirmed, sources said as many as 150 people have been let go, a number that includes open positions that will not be filled. Some 4,000 employees work at the Bristol campus. All told, the company employs 7,000 workers worldwide.

ESPN acknowledged the layoffs in a statement released this afternoon: “We are implementing changes across the company to enhance our continued growth while smartly managing costs. While difficult, we are confident that it will make us more competitive, innovative and productive.”

The last time ESPN made deep cuts in payroll was in May 2009, when approximately 100 staffers were laid off and 200 vacant positions were left open.

The layoffs come on the heels of a record day on Wall Street for ESPN parent Walt Disney Co. On May 7, shares soared to a record $66.07 as the company delivered better-than-expected FY Q2 earnings.

ESPN did much of the heavy lifting for Disney’s media networks division, as the cable networks generated $3.46 billion in revenue for the three-month period that ended on March 30. Per RBC Capital estimates, ESPN accounts for 69 percent of Disney’s cable revenues; as such, the sports giant is likely to have delivered $2.4 billion in quarterly revenue.

In recent years, ESPN has laid out gargantuan sums of cash for the live sports rights that keep its engine purring. Last May, ESPN and the ACC inked a 15-year extension of their existing rights contract at a rate of $240 million per year or $3.6 billion. The rights to the new Bowl Championship Series playoffs will cost $560 million per year through 2025, while re-upping with Major League Baseball ($5.35 billion through 2021) and the National Football League ($15.5 billion through 2021) were two other high-profile moves.

The network’s current $3.88 billion deal with the National Basketball Association expires at the end of the 2015 season.

Another costly line item is ESPN’s new digital center, which is being erected in Bristol at a cost of around $125 million. Midway through its 2013-14 upfront presentation, ESPN last week gave media buyers and advertisers their first look at the Digital Center 2 facility and the new SportsCenter set.

On the other side of the ledger, ESPN makes a killing on affiliate fees, charging operators an average rate of $5.01 per subscriber per month, according to SNL Kagan estimates. Last year, the flagship network collected $5.96 billion in sub fees—more than four times what runner-up TNT earns in a year ($1.42 billion).

ESPN also beats all comers in the ad game, generating $2.07 billion in sales revenue at ESPN and ESPN2.

Shares of Disney were flat at $66.09 in mid-afternoon trading.

ESPN's Cherie Cohen Headed to NBCUniversal to Focus on Cable

Sam Thielman — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:13:08 +0000

This afternoon, NBCUniversal will announce that ESPN exec Cherie Cohen has joined the fold, reporting to evps Dan Lovinger and Laura Molen with the title of svp of cable advertising sales. Cohen will oversee NBCU's regional sales offices in Detroit, Chicago and Los Angeles. In keeping with the company's new focus on synergy between its broadcast properties (NBC proper and Telemundo) and its cable networks, Cohen will work closely with the broadcast nets in addition to selling time on cable.

“Cherie is a seasoned media executive with a successful track record working creatively across multiple assets and platforms and she will be a terrific addition to our powerful and diverse portfolio of brands,” said Lovinger.

Indeed, Cohen has been working at ESPN where she held the post of vp of multimedia sales and oversaw West Coast ops for the sportscaster. Along with the promotion to svp, Cohen will leave ESPN at a time when the cable network is undergoing some serious personnel changes: Potentially hundreds of employees were laid off today.

Cable television is Cohen's bread and butter: prior to her tenure at ESPN, she worked at Court TV from 2002 to 2004. Her first day at NBCU will be June 3.

NBC Makes Bet on Fake Reality

Maura McGowan — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:16:21 +0000

NBC has added another show in its summer lineup: Siberia, a drama about contestants in a reality show gone wrong. Set to premiere July 1 at 10 p.m., Siberia is reportedly a spooky adventure thriller reminiscent of Lost, set in a remote Siberian territory.

Jeff Bader, NBC Entertainment's president of program planning, strategy, and research, believes Siberia's combination of survival drama and mystery will compel viewers.

"We believe a scripted series that offers an insightful behind-the-scenes view of how a reality concept comes together—especially when things don't go according to plan—will connect with our audience in a very satisfying way," Bader told The Hollywood Reporter.

The Hollywood Reporter offers a more detailed synopsis: Sixteen contestants descend on Siberia's Tunguska not knowing the land's mysterious past (it was hit with a meteorite 100 years prior). When a contestant is badly injured and no help arrives, the contestants realize that strange occurrences are not part of the reality show. With their safety threatened, the contestants are forced to work together to survive.

The networks are looking to bulk up summer programming with scripted series following last year's underperforming round of reality shows. Siberia joins the summer schedule along with crime procedural Crossing Lines and the dramedy Camp.

One of the Few in Hollywood Who Can Say ‘No’ to Harvey Weinstein

Emma Bazilian — Tue, 21 May 2013 02:23:44 +0000

Specs
Who Meryl Poster
Age 48
Gig President of television at The Weinstein Co.,
New work Launching Rodeo Girls, Supermarket Superstar

You’re known as one of the few people in Hollywood that can say “no” to Harvey Weinstein. Is that difficult?
You know, I am who I am, and I’m a very honest person. Harvey respects that about me, and he knows that when I argue with him, it’s not that I have a personal agenda; it’s what I feel is best for the company. I even had a little tussle with him yesterday, and he said to me, “You’ve always helped me—let me help you.” Not that I needed his help, but he does give me a lot of credit.

You spent 16 years at Miramax and returned to The Weinstein Company two years ago after a five-year break. What drew you back?
Harvey presented the opportunity of working on a Project Runway franchise and put together All-Stars. I was a big fan of Runway as a viewer—I didn’t work on the show when I was at the company. I had also met the Mob Wives and thought they were fantastic, so I was excited about that. Basically, Harvey gave me the opportunity to have free rein in running and building a department.

Project Runway was just picked up for a 12th season. How do you keep the show fresh, considering that every season follows a similar format?
I think that the quality of the show keeps people coming back, and the familiarity with the format. We have phenomenal guest judges—we did a special challenge in All-Stars with Katie Holmes and military families—and the talent of these designers just makes people want to see it. On Season 11, we did mix it up with teams.

How did your upcoming reality series, Rodeo Girls, come together?
Darcy LaPier, the star of the show, came in to pitch our COO David Glasser on a project, and as an aside, she mentioned that she was a rodeo barrel racer. She introduced us to other women on the barrel-racing circuit, and that’s how the idea arose. It’s about a new era of woman: The same way that Fifty Shades of Grey has become a phenomenon, these women leave behind their family and their responsibilities to hit the road and have some fun, which is what the guys normally do.

You’re also working on a couple of scripted shows. Will that become a bigger focus for the company?
I would like to have a balance of both [reality and scripted]. I know everyone’s looking at me and saying, “Why are you doing so much reality?” And I really don’t care, because to tell a story is to tell a story.

What do you think about the common criticism that certain reality shows are exploiting their stars?
It’s quite the opposite. They have tremendous opportunity doing these shows. Their lives become so much richer and fuller, and they have a chance to see a world that they never would have had a chance to see. And these women are able to support their family. You look at somebody like NeNe Leakes from The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and you think, “Where would this woman ever have this opportunity?”

What are your favorite TV shows?
I loved House of Cards. I joked that my Christmas vacation was me drinking tequila and soda and watching House of Cards all night. I love Housewives of Beverly Hills and Modern Family and Glee. I even enjoy WWE Smackdown on Friday nights with my 11-year-old son. Oh, and Girls. I saw Tiny Furniture very early on, and I thought that Lena Dunham would make great talent.

Do you think you’ll get to work with her?
She’s probably out of my league now, but you never know. Maybe she’ll judge an episode of Runway.

NowThis News Attracts High-Profile Supporters

David Taintor — Tue, 21 May 2013 02:03:32 +0000

Coming soon to NowThis News: native ads and big-name investors.

The New York-based startup, which describes itself as a mobile-centric news outlet for millennials, plans this summer to introduce sponsored video content to its mix of newsy and offbeat editorial fare.

If it sounds like a page out of BuzzFeed’s advertorial playbook, it does for good reason. NowThis News was co-founded last fall by BuzzFeed executive chairman Kenneth Lerer and backed by his firm Lerer Ventures.

NowThis News gm Eason Jordan acknowledged BuzzFeed’s shareable ad content as a model for NowThis News.

“Everything is meant to make the consumer experience as good as it can be,” he said. “We don’t want people coming to us and saying the advertising is such that I’m just not interested.”

Preroll ads are not in the works, Jordan added, considering many of the site’s videos clock in around one minute in length.

The company has been tight-lipped about the first advertisers to sign on, but Jordan hints they are “national, renowned brands.”

NowThis News—which has apps for Apple (100,000 iOs downloads to date) and Android devices—has attracted high-profile backers, too. Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman has come on as a new investor, and former MTV Networks CEO Judy McGrath is an adviser.

“When you have the father of MTV and essentially the mother of MTV Networks, we’re feeling like we’ve got a lot of good karma coming along with them,” Jordan said.

It’s Official: Deborah Turness Named President of NBC News

Anthony Crupi — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:57:14 +0000

A little more than a week after word began circulating that ITV News editor Deborah Turness was on the verge of being named president of NBC News, Pat Fili-Krushel made it official.

The NBC News chair announced this morning that Turness will take the reins in August.

Deborah Turness

"Deborah has built an outstanding reputation as both a journalist and business executive with a proven track record for innovation and collaboration,” Fili-Krushel said, by way of announcing Turness’ appointment. “She is a leader with a global perspective, who is also very familiar with NBC News, having worked closely with us through our partnership with ITN. Her passion for the news business, combined with her creativity and vision, will be a tremendous asset to NBC News, and I’m very pleased to welcome her to the team.”

Turness becomes the first woman to run a network news organization in the U.S. She replaces Steve Capus, who stepped down in February. She will report to Fili-Krushel.

In Turness, NBC has landed a leader with considerable hands-on experience. A 25-year ITV veteran, she’s overseen its newscasts as editor for the last decade. ITV boasts the second-largest TV news audience in the U.K., trailing only BBC News.

Turness arrives as NBC News faces ratings pressure on nearly all fronts. Not only has the Today show lost its stranglehold over morning news to ABC’s Good Morning America, but also the Sunday morning public affairs program Meet the Press with David Gregory has lost ground to CBS News’ Face the Nation with Bob Scheiffer.

While GMA last year broke Today’s 16-season winning streak in the core 25-54 demo, the show remains a moneymaker for NBC. Per Kantar Media, Today in 2012 generated $497.3 million in ad sales revenue, up 3 percent from the previous year. In the same period, GMA brought in $318.5 million in ad dollars, up 7 percent from 2011.

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams remains the top-rated evening news broadcast, extending its winning streak among total viewers to 191 weeks.

Turness announced her decision to leave ITV today at 3 p.m. U.K. time. In a memo to staffers, ITN CEO John Hardie said that while he was sorry to see Turness go, he was “delighted for her to have this opportunity, particularly at an affiliate that we work so closely with.”

The 45-year-old executive will stay on to help recruit her replacement. Turness’ official start date at NBC is Aug. 5.

“It is quite simply the greatest imaginable honor to be named as the next president of NBC News,” Turness said. “I am hugely excited by the opportunities that lie ahead and look forward to working with the talented journalists and technicians who make it one of the great global news operations.”

The 5 Time Slot Showdowns Will Look Like This

Anthony Crupi — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:13:40 +0000

Now that the Tetris tiles of the 2013–14 TV schedule have dropped into place, a number of intriguing programming showdowns await. With 51 new scripted series slated to premiere in the coming season, the newcomers will be fighting for their lives against established hits and fellow freshman shows. Here are the five time slots that are likely to kick up the most dust:

Monday 9-10 PM
Sleepy Hollow (Fox) vs. The Voice (NBC) vs. Dancing With the Stars (ABC) vs. Mom and Two Broke Girls (CBS).
Familiarity may breed contempt, but doubling down on The Voice hasn’t eroded its popularity—yet. Meanwhile, there’s nothing at all familiar about the deliriously over-the-top Sleepy Hollow, which features a homicidal headless equestrian and George Washington’s secret Bible. NBC will win the hour handily over DVR-bait Sleepy, CBS’ comedy battery and the creaky DWTS.

Monday 10-11 PM
The Blacklist (NBC) vs. (CBS) vs. Castle (ABC).
CBS’ scorched-earth policy pits its suspenseful new fall drama against NBC’s ambiguous thriller, its most intriguing freshman series. CBS will win, because win is what it does, although ABC will continue to dominate with women 25-54.

Tuesday 8-9 PM
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC) vs. NCIS (CBS) vs. Dads and Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox).
The unsinkable NCIS will win the war for total reach, but it’s unlikely that any broadcast show can touch Joss Whedon’s S.H.I.E.L.D. among the 18-49 set. Gentlemen, start your DVRs—since the Fox comedies (respectively, Seth MacFarlane and Andy Samberg vehicles) will almost certainly overlap S.H.I.E.L.D. among younger males, time-shifted viewing will be particularly significant in the hour.

Tuesday 9-10 PM
(Midseason) New Girl and The Mindy Project (Fox) vs.About a Boy< and The Family Guide (NBC) vs.The Goldbergs and Trophy Wife (ABC).
When these three networks constructed a similar comedy roadblock in the 2012-13 season, a war of attrition broke out, leaving Fox’s female-skewing sitcoms the sole survivors. Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it; although the competition is much tougher than it was a year ago, look for Fox to eke out another narrow victory over the newbies.

Thursday 8-9 PM
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (ABC) vs. The Big Bang Theory and The Millers (CBS) vs. Parks and Recreation and Welcome to the Family (NBC).
While it’s disheartening that Margo Martindale ditched FX (The Americans, Justified) for this crass comedy from Raising Hope creator Greg Garcia, CBS viewers seem to actively enjoy jokes about breaking wind and, uh, roughing up the suspect. Good thing, too, because The Millers is particularly enamored with both strains of bodily-emission yuks. Of course, in the post-Big Bang Theory slot, CBS could just as well air 22 minutes of drowning-puppy footage and still pull a 4.0, and NBC’s new sitcom Welcome to the Family probably won’t do anything to change that. ABC will exorcise its demons with the Once Upon a Time spinoff, but Wonderland isn’t expected to take any share away from CBS.

Our Picks for the 5 Best and 5 Worst New TV Shows

Anthony Crupi — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:13:15 +0000

THE FIVE BEST …

As cable siphons off GRPs like a fat kid sucking YooHoo through a Krazy Straw, broadcasters have countered with manic fits of development.
Among the best:

(1) Resurrection (ABC) The River Styx flows upstream as those long dead and buried return to their families. Goosebumps.
(2) Hostages (CBS) Tiffany Net leaves procedurals in the dust with this taut kidnapping drama.
(3) Sleepy Hollow (Fox) This steampunk conspiracy thriller incorporates everything from time travel to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Crazy fun.
(4) Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC) Don’t bet against $1.5 billion in Avengers box office and the kicky genius of Joss Whedon.
(5) The Blacklist (NBC) Steff from Pretty in Pink is TV’s newest oddball criminal mastermind.

… AND WORST NEW SHOWS

That upfront attendees howled at trailers for the first two shows on this list suggests that people will laugh at anything after free booze.

(1) The Millers (CBS) Of a piece with CBS’ lowestcommondenominator yuks, the sizzle reel was basically 3 minutes of masturbation and fart jokes. Dreck.
(2) Dads (Fox) Seth MacFarlane’s first liveaction TV comedy is an ugly stew of racist and sexist shtick. Makes The Cleveland Show look like Cheers.
(3) Undateable (NBC) Unwatchable.
(4) The Crazy Ones (CBS) Mork and Buffy run an ad agency. Sufferers of Robin Williams Intolerance, steer clear.
(5) Intelligence (CBS) The Six Million Dollar Sawyer meets Google Glass: The Procedural.

… AND SOME PILOTS THAT NEVER LANDED

Beverly Hills Cop (CBS) A spinoff of the ’80s movie franchise, the pilot focused on Axel Foley’s son (Brandon T. Jackson), who fights the good fight in the 90210. Eddie Murphy had signed on to do occasional guest arcs.

The Sixth Gun (NBC): A geektastic supernatural Western that was passed over in favor of a raft of procedurals. Gun would make a fine, if pricey, addition to Syfy’s lineup.

Delirium (Fox): Based on Lauren Oliver’s trilogy about a world where love is legislated out of existence, Delirium starred Emma Roberts as a girl with an outlaw heart. A bit too CW-ish for Fox.

Mulaney (NBC): Starring standup du jour and SNL writer (“Weekend Update”) John Mulaney, the pilot garnered raves but apparently didn’t jibe with NBC’s new family sitcoms.

Super Clyde (CBS): While this comedy about a regular Joe (Hogwarts alum Rupert Grint) who becomes a superhero tested well with CBS suits, Clyde was deemed off-brand.

USA Today Takes Its Ad Meter Beyond the Super Bowl

Lucia Moses — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:08:14 +0000

Ad Meter: It’s not just for Super Bowl ads anymore. USA Today is expanding its S uper Bowl ad-rating platform to other categories of sports media. Ad Meter: The Year in Sports will invite sports fans to vote in categories like Best Sports Marketing Campaign and Best Athlete Endorsement Ad. Online voting will take place on Ad Meter’s digital hub in November, with the winners to be announced Dec. 9 at an event in New York.

The Gannett daily is trying to carve out a stronger identity among the other national newspapers, and one way it’s seeking to do that is to amplify social engagement (after all, the paper claims to have its finger on the pulse of the nation’s conversation). This past Super Bowl, Ad Meter judging was opened up to consumers (before, it was done by a hand-picked panel), resulting in 20 million pageviews in the 48 hours surrounding the game, up from 9 million the year before.

“We’ve tapped into that popularity of sports, that phenomenon that people want to weigh in,” said Tom Beusse, president of the USA Today Sports Media Group. "The Ad Meter has been the gold standard. It's just been underleveraged."

USA Today sees more room to expand the Ad Meter concept, which hadn’t been used for a non-Super Bowl event since 1997, around the finale of Seinfeld. A mobile app for the Tony Awards was launched in April, and USA Today president and publisher Larry Kramer is looking at extending it to other events like the Oscars, as well as other sports franchises like the World Series and the Final Four. Basically, the platform could apply to other events that have ads created specifically for them.

Extending the Ad Meter isn't just about getting more interaction with readers, though. Beusse said that the consumer data it collects through the platform can be sold to or shared with advertisers. "The more we can gain, the more of a service we can provide the marketer," Beusse said.

Is Cable Finally Getting Parity With Broadcast?

Sam Thielman — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:07:19 +0000

On Monday, top executives at both NBC and Fox upfronts did something you don’t usually see in a network presentation. They admitted they weren’t happy with their product, either. “We had a challenging first quarter, as well as our share of midseason disappointments,” NBC’s Bob Greenblatt said to buyers and clients. “This was not our best year,” said Fox’s Kevin Reilly. Jimmy Kimmel made his network’s diminishing audience into a joke at the ABC presentation: “Every year, Apple products get smaller, and nobody has a problem with that.”

Cable networks have been waiting for this moment. Mel Berning came out swinging at the A+E Networks upfront, scolding broadcasters for charging a “failure tax” and telling ad buyers that the smart money was with his networks’ hits. David Levy, head of ad sales for Turner (who shows buyers his wares during the same week as the broadcast presentations, along with USA), has been pushing for parity with broadcast for years, and now, he told Adweek, “We’re getting there.”

“Sports, kids and news have been at parity for five, six years,” Levy said. “For entertainment, there just hasn’t been enough quality programming, but we’ve really stepped things up in the last four or five years.”

Many across the negotiating table agree. “You can get three spots on cable for the cost of one on broadcast,” said a buyer for an over-the-counter medicine brand (every buyer who spoke to Adweek for this story asked to be quoted anonymously). So why buy broadcast at all? “We don’t.”

A more senior buyer at a different agency put the question in more complicated terms. “The reality is, for certain shows that can deliver broadcast-like ratings or quality, the CPMs can get close to broadcast,” the buyer said. “For Walking Dead, why wouldn’t I give it a very similar CPM?” But if cable wants the same kind of pricing for its originals that broadcast demands, buyers want to see ad packaging change.

“The challenge,” the senior buyer said, “is when you get to prime replacement”—cable shows that air opposite broadcast prime-time series. “You can’t just buy the original; you buy all the repeats, and that dilutes your average rating.” In other words, I may buy an episode of Gritty Cop Show on Awesome Cable Network at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, but ACN requires that I also buy the show’s 2 a.m. reruns ... which means that even though Gritty Cop gets 4 million demo viewers at 8, the 400,000 demo viewers who tune in at 2 a.m. make the show average out to 2.2 million for the buy. ACN might even require that you buy spots on its corporate sibling, Struggling Niche Channel. Not every cable network does this, but those offering prime-time à la carte tend to skew younger and rate lower. On balance, broadcast still offers more reach when you average out all the extra requirements.

Jeff Wachtel, co-president of USA with Chris McCumber, says that duking it out with broadcast isn’t really a line item on his agenda. “It’s not our instinct to do that,” Wachtel said. “Chris and I have the good fortune of being able to emphasize the positives.”

Part of that strategy is corporate—NBC is USA’s sister network—but it also has to do with very different business models, which involve pushing off-network content as aggressively as USA does original programming. “If you take a look at Modern Family, what we can give to an advertiser is that the show is across all seven days,” Wachtel said. “ABC can only give it to you one day a week.” McCumber says there’s little duplication in the show’s broadcast viewership, as well.

Turner has employed a similar strategy with CBS’ hits Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory, both of which have helped lead in to originals from which the networks can build slates of in-house content. It’s very important that they serve the network’s original material, too—both Big Bang and Modern Family fetch around $1.5 million per episode in syndication from their adoptive networks, so the payoff for re-airing them needs to be big.

Broadcasters are taking the battle straight to cable. ABC and Fox are airing limited series like Betrayal and Shōgun that will fill space colonized by popular cable series. To put it briefly, cable and broadcast are changing, but at the end of the change, you may not be able to tell the two apart.

Michael J. Fox Explains How His New TV Comedy Mirrors His Real Life

Anthony Crupi — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:06:40 +0000

Like most sentient Americans, NBC is a huge Michael J. Fox fan, and the network demonstrated as much last summer when it outmaneuvered its broadcast competition by way of a risky and unprecedented leap of faith. If the actor would agree to bring his new comedy series to NBC, the network suits would rubber-stamp a binding order of 22 episodes, sight unseen.

In trumping its rivals, NBC not only boasts the best odds for a breakout hit in the 2013-14 season, but it also brings back one of the single most beloved TV stars of the last 30 years. (Seriously, in terms of universal appeal, the man is up there with Tom “Drunk Uncle Ned” Hanks and Bugs Bunny.)

Last week, Adweek caught up with the star of The Michael J. Fox Show, a warm but spiky single-camera comedy that cribs liberally from the 51-year-old’s own life. Fox stars as a celebrated local TV newsman in New York (at WNBC/Channel 4, naturally) who decides to return to work five years after being sidelined by a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. As was the case with his turns in Curb Your Enthusiasm and Rescue Me, the actor’s illness is written into the narrative, the physical manifestations fodder for genuinely funny jokes.

If nothing else, the new show is a declaration of sorts from a man who has been in the public eye since the 1980s. Michael J. Fox doesn’t need or want your pity—he’s simply looking to create and embody a character who elicits the same response he always has. So don’t be afraid to laugh.

It’s been 30-plus years since Family Ties premiered on NBC, and suddenly you’ve been called back into service as the face of the network’s revamped Thursday night lineup. What can you tell us about the new show?
In a way, the show is a throwback. It’s a traditional family comedy … I mean, it’s not aimed at ’tweens or anything, but it’s the kind of show you can sit down and watch with your kids and there’s no [Alex P. Keaton-esque groan of disapproval]. There are family themes and family dynamics, which is something that I’m familiar and comfortable with, in both my personal life and the sort of things I’ve done on network television.

And a lot of the subject matter is going to reflect your own life.
The stories we’re going to tell in the show are roughly based on stories that I’ve told in my books. I met with [executive producers] Sam [Laybourne] and Will [Gluck] and we started talking about raising kids and being in New York. And as we started talking about this common experience we had, the whole idea started crystallizing to the point where we felt we could get our heads around it.
We cast children that are roughly the same age of my own kids, so a lot of the experiences and interactions are the same. Although they’re not so much alike that my real kids are going to think that every time one of the kids on the show does something goofy it’s a reflection on them.

Your character decides to return to a full-time job in television after some time on the sidelines. What made you both want to jump back into the fray?
I play a newsman named Mike Henry, and he’s like me in the sense that he gets recognized when he’s out and around. When I walk around New York, my wife calls me the mayor. People come up and say hi, and honestly there’s a comfort and a joy in that. Because you’re part of people’s experiences, and New Yorkers aren’t shy about sharing that with you.
So my character left the news business a few years earlier when he was first diagnosed because he really didn’t know what to expect. He devotes all his energies to family, and because they weren’t used to having him around 24/7, he drove them crazy. When the opportunity to go back to his old job presents itself, they’re like, “Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.”
Whereas for me, I’d been playing [recurring] roles on Rescue Me and The Good Wife and I know that this is something I can do right now. And so, here we are.

And in those roles [the unctuous and manipulative attorney Louis Canning on The Good Wife and the rage-fueled, pill-popping nightmare that was Rescue Me’s Dwight], you’ve played some real pieces of work. Is Mike Henry also one of your less cuddly creations?
It’s a family show, but it’s not Ozzie and Harriet.It’s got a sharp sensibility to it … but at the same time, we’re not Louis CK either. I love him and cherish his show, but we’re clearly not trying to do anything like that.

So when you balance the two sensibilities, you basically get Uncle Ned from Family Ties?
Sort of, although you’re not going to see me guzzling vanilla extract [laughs]. But yeah, this is a conscious return to that sort of earlier dynamic. I’m really happy with it. … There’s an ease to it and a familiar, uh, family wit that I think a lot of people can relate to. And the cast has already bonded in such a way that there’s a familiarity there as well. In just a short amount of time, we’ve all developed these incredible working relationships, and so on the set it already seems like a lot of time has passed between us.

The TV landscape has changed so radically since you first came up with NBC. Does the fact that people consume content in such radically decentralized ways change the way you approach making TV now?
It doesn’t change anything in the basic sense of working with the script and shooting the show and my wanting to serve the interest of being funny and creating a character. That basic stuff is all the same. … I guess you’re a little more careful with the powder in the makeup room because every aspect of your visage is plain to see, but as far as the actual workaday stuff, none of that has really changed.
How we promote the show is different and the ratings are different. I mean, at any given time I can find three shows about antiques in barns. It’s an anything-you-want, anytime-you-want-it universe, and so maybe the conventional networks can no longer have the impact that they used to have. But there are still some network shows like Modern Family that sort of speak to the zeitgeist and have mass appeal. So you go in hoping that you can find an audience and give them something they can relate to and they’ll keep coming back—and I think we can do that.
I think there’s an appetite for this kind of show, and we’re going to meet it. I’m pleased with how it’s all coming together … and I think that while some of the subject matter is very specific to my condition, there’s a relatability to it. I mean, one way or the other everyone’s got a bag of hammers they have to carry around with them, so …

What was behind the decision to make a single-camera comedy? Was it just a nod to the genre or an acknowledgment of the inherent physical demands of making TV?
Single-camera is easier for me from a pure man-hours perspective because with a four-camera show, there are rehearsals and changes in the scripts … and basically you have to be present and accounted for during every second of the shoot. Whereas for this, there can be whole chunks of time when I’m just chilling.

OK, this is a question that has kept me up at night for the last 30 years. How did becoming a werewolf help Scott Howard [in the film Teen Wolf] become a better basketball player? I mean, other than Air Bud, dogs really suck at basketball.
[Laughs] I think it had less to do with any technical considerations and everything to do with his sheer rage. He displayed this [Dennis] Rodman-esque insanity … and I think it was intimidating to guard him.

Speaking of another one of your iconic roles, a few years back Marty McFly [Fox’s character in the Back to the Future franchise] and Nike raised quite a bit of money for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
Yeah, Nike did a thing where they auctioned off 1,500 pairs of the sneakers I wore in Back to the Future II. They raised $4.7 million and that was matched by a donor … so altogether, we raised more than $9 million for the fight to cure Parkinson’s.

This Is What We Saw at the TV Upfronts This Year

Anthony Crupi — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:05:56 +0000

In trying to gauge the health of the TV ad sales market, one can opt to discard macroeconomic data on the GDP and spreadsheets on scatter rates. In fact, look no further than the nearest hors d’oeuvres tray. If at any point during an upfront party a waiter bearing a silver tray offers you a jumbo shrimp cocktail, things are looking up. When the networks aren’t feeling so flush, you’ll be lucky to round up a plate of chilled Sea-Monkeys slathered in ketchup. Austerity matters were such that during the recession-throttled 2009-10 upfront, even the most resourceful junior buyer soon learned that the closest thing to a free meal was the garnish on a watered-down drink.

If that’s an (admittedly) absurd methodology, it’s probably not much goofier than trying to pass judgment on the fall prime-time schedule based on having watched a bunch of three-minute promo reels from the nosebleed seats at New York’s Carnegie Hall or Radio City. And yet this is what media buyers and clients are asked to do every May; the likelihood is high that many long-term investments will be made based on fleeting first impressions.

Sure, it’s a lot easier to identify the pineapple Life Savers, those shows that are met with a mix of incredulity and nervous laughter when they’re trotted out during the dog and pony shows. (Think Work It, or Animal Practice.) Picking a winner is another matter altogether. Whereas only a handful of new series really seemed to distinguish themselves during last year’s upfront, this year at least a dozen shows appear strong enough to help marketers reach their target demos.

Fox, ABC and The CW all bet heavily on sci-fi/fantasy pilots, and even procedural-happy CBS has slotted a midseason show in which the prefix “cyber” gets thrown around an awful lot (Intelligence, with Josh Holloway and CSI alum Marg Helgenberger). Three of our five best bets for next season can be classified as sci-fi/fantasy dramas.

Another recurring motif involves “event” programming, which is to say self-contained, limited-run story arcs. Designed to spackle the cracks in an overlong 35-week season, these stand-alone projects allow for scheduled multi-week breaks for popular episodic series without having to rely on repeats. The 13-episode scheme is also a nod to the cable model; three of the five broadcast programming chiefs (ABC’s Paul Lee, NBC’s Bob Greenblatt, Fox’s Kevin Reilly) all made their bones on the other side of the fence.

If this year’s upfront market is anything like last year’s—and the preliminary signs suggest that radical shifts in pricing and dollar volume are unlikely—then the last budgets will be registered just after Memorial Day weekend, clearing the way for the first round of dealmaking to begin. As buyers and sellers prepare to negotiate terms, here’s a rundown of what will be on the table at each network.

CBS
Les Moonves last Wednesday kicked off his day crowing to reporters that his network was on the verge of winning the seasonal ratings race by the largest margin in 24 years. But before the CBS Corp. CEO moved on to talk about his network’s fall schedule, he took a moment to address some barbs thrown at him by ABC mouthpiece Jimmy Kimmel. In accordance with classical precedent, the late-night host mocked CBS (“those smug motherfuckers”) for its older demos. Moonves responded that he was “flattered” to be characterized as such. “You don’t call somebody [that] unless they’re smug and they’re winning,” Moonves observed. “We’ll try to be a little less smug and a little more gracious, but that’s hard for me, as you know. But anyway, Jimmy, ABC is still going to finish fourth in 18-49.”

With few holes to ﬁll in its prime-time lineup (the network renewed 20 series for 2013-14), CBS is beefing up on comedies. After years of speculation, CBS finally pulled the trigger on a two-hour Thursday night comedy block, bookending newbies The Millers (Will Arnett) and The Crazy Ones (Robin Williams, Sarah Michelle Gellar) with ratings giant The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men. Monday nights will usher in the single-camera bromance We Are Men and the latest Chuck Lorre project, Mom (Anna Faris).

While Carnegie Hall responded to the clips with metronomic whoops and roars, the comedies were discouragingly crass. But that’s sort of missing the point. “Look, that’s not really my cup of tea, either,” rationalized one national TV buyer. “But nobody understands their audience better than CBS. Those shows were all on-brand … and whatever you may think of Robin Williams, that one is going to get huge sampling.”

While analysts project that pricing premiums won’t go north of 6 percent (Moonves boasted he expects closer to 10 percent), CBS will probably be the only network to post significant volume increases—and will likely lead the market. Barclays eyes a 10.5 percent improvement, with CBS raking in a record $2.93 billion in advance commitments.

Fox
Fox entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly last Monday acknowledged that the network had taken its lumps this season. (Through 33 weeks, Fox is averaging a 2.5 in the 18-49 demo, down 22 percent versus a year ago.) “We had some challenges … particularly in the fall,” Reilly said, before adding that things are decidedly looking up. “Next season, we’ve got the Super Bowl … and we’re making the biggest investment in entertainment programming that we’ve ever made.”

After delivering the top-rated new series in its bloody crime drama The Following, Fox is eager to strike while the spatter is fresh. The network takes its biggest swings with the giddily bonkers Sleepy Hollow and J.J. Abrams’ paranoid android cop drama, Almost Human. “Sleepy Hollow, if it’s going to work anywhere, it’ll work on Fox,” said Noah Everist, associate media director at Campbell Mithun’s Compass Point Media. “They really program to their strengths.”

Everist said he’s not at all surprised by the abundance of sci-fi/fantasy projects on the schedule (Fox is also prepping the self-contained M. Night Shyamalan fable, Wayward Pines). “Anytime you see a genre deliver like sci-fi has, you’re going to see everyone hop aboard the bandwagon. Which they’ll ride until it breaks down, and then they’ll go look for something else,” Everist said.

Added another buyer: “The problem with this type of show is, you can’t sustain the necessary budgets over a 22-, 23-episode season. There should be less wear and tear on their genre stuff if they stick to shorter orders.”

With fewer GRPs to sell and pricing premiums expected to come in at around 6 percent, Fox could face a tough upfront. Per Barclays estimates, the net stands to book $1.88 billion in upfront commitments, down 14.5 percent versus last year’s $2.2 billion.

NBC
After every last one of its freshman comedies failed last season, NBC has come back to the table with a clutch of traditional family comedies and cop shows that wouldn’t look out of place on CBS.

If anything can be characterized as a consensus favorite, it’s The Michael J. Fox Show. The Monday crowd at Radio City Music Hall cheered the cut-down, which had its share of genuinely funny moments. Buyers were also intrigued by the James Spader drama Blacklist. According to NBC entertainment president Bob Greenblatt, the new crime thriller out-tested NBC’s last 125 drama pilots, making it the network’s best-received one-hour show in a decade.

NBC is also embracing the other big upfront trends, launching the limited series (10 episodes) Dracula in the fall and rolling out J.J. Abrams’ supernatural adventure Believe on Sundays in midseason.

Analysts expect NBC will be flat to slightly up on volume, which would put its upfront take at around $1.81 billion.

ABC
Given heavy cross-promotion on ESPN, it’s hard to imagine Joss Whedon’s Avengers spin-off, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., won’t prove to be a monster hit. “As a viewer, I’m excited to be able to get into the Marvel universe every week,” Everist said. “Does it make sense for all my clients? Probably not … But if they scheduled it on Thursday nights, I bet it would soak up all the movie dollars.”

ABC perhaps has made the largest investment in new programming, slating eight fall premieres (four dramas, four comedies) and rebuilding Tuesdays from the ground up. S.H.I.E.L.D. leads off at 8 p.m., followed by freshmen comedies The Goldbergs and Trophy Wife and the lottery drama Lucky 7.

Not everyone believes it’s a sound strategy to run an entirely new night without a single established anchor. “As we know, that almost always works,” snarked CBS scheduler Kelly Kahl. But ABC didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. The 8 p.m. slot this season has been inhabited by everything from Dancing With the Stars to the show about celebrities and diving boards (Splash), while lead-outs Happy Endings, Don’t Trust the B---- in Apt. 23 and Private Practice are all no more.

Per Barclays, ABC’s strength among female viewers could earn it a bit of a volume bump, raising a projected $2.58 billion in upfront revenue.

The CW
The CW’s original programming is so seamlessly designed with its core demos in mind (women 18-34, adults 18-34) that it often seems as if the pilots were whipped up in a laboratory. Unfortunately, as appealing a target as those young viewers may be, it does the network very little good if its deliveries to mobile devices aren’t being credited.

“Younger audiences are clearly consuming video across all screens … And that is going to change how we do what we do forever—it already has, really,” said Kris Magel, evp, director of national broadcast at Initiative. “This is actually good for advertisers … Because when people watch on-demand, they have specifically set aside that time to view the program. They are less distracted. And they notice and pay more attention to commercials.”

Buyers reacted most strongly to the costume drama Reign and the midseason sci-fi thriller The 100, but the promo for the upcoming Romeo & Juliet/District 9 mashup Star-Crossed drew a fair amount of chuckles from the crowd—unfortunate, given that it’s an angsty teen-alien drama.

The CW last year booked some $410 million in advance sales. Analysts said it’s unlikely the network will surpass that haul this time around, although if it can get better rates for its digital properties, an uptick is not out of the question.

NBCUniversal Expands Licensing Deal With Amazon

Maura McGowan — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:32:47 +0000

NBCUniversal will bring a broader range of content to Amazon Instant, TechCrunch reported.

The network has expanded its licensing deal with Amazon to include the shows Covert Affairs, Defiance, Grimm, Hannibal and Suits, as well as the Syfy programs Alphas, Eureka and Warehouse 13. NBCUniversal will also provide children's series for the Kindle FreeTime unlimited, including Curious George and the Land Before Time.

Amazon has been amping up its content offerings to compete with Hulu and Netflix. Prime members can stream more than 40,000 titles on a wide variety of platforms including iOS, Xbox, Wii (U) and Roku. The online retail giant is also developing its own TV set-top box.

Ad-Supported App to Bring CW Programming to Apple TV

Maura McGowan — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:06:55 +0000

The CW Network will bring its programming to Apple TV with a new, ad-supported app, Deadline reported. The CW will be the first network to make its content available directly on the Apple TV set-top box, rather than through a third party like Netflix or Hulu.

The CW announced the partnership at its upfront presentation on Thursday, where network execs offered advertisers market penetration through digital platforms. In fact, greater than 20 percent of the network's audience watches content through digital sources, such as the CW TV Now app, available for Xbox and Windows and soon supported on Apple TV.

The network responsible for Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries and America's Next Top Model also announced the launch of CW Seed, its new digital channel with interactive opportunities and original series.

"If the CW is what's now, then CW Seed is what's next," CW president Mark Pedowitz said.

According to Deadline, Pedowitz cut ad deals on Thursday based on the number of viewers who see an ad 7 days after it airs, in order to keep up with the ubiquity of DVR usage.

Big Bang Star Simon Helberg Reads Einstein

Emma Bazilian — Fri, 17 May 2013 03:51:26 +0000

Who Simon Helberg
Age 32
Accomplishments Plays Howard Wolowitz on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory; voices Bian Zao on Nickelodeon’s Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness
Base Los Angeles

What’s the first information you consume in the morning?
The first information would have to be Twitter, probably. I’m often indisposed while looking at Twitter, in various states of undress—but not for any raunchy reasons, just because it’s early or late.

Who are your favorite tweeters?
There’s a guy whose handle is @igeekanddrink—I think his name is Jacy—who has the most absurd tweets. Patton Oswalt is hilarious. I also like to follow The New York Times and some Hollywood news to keep up, and I’ll follow some science stuff so I can pretend like I know what I’m doing when I come to work.

What occupies your mind in the car?
I listen to Howard Stern on Sirius XM. I’ve been a big Howard Stern fan since I was 10—way too young to be listening. Sometimes I try to listen to new music, but I guess I like the rhythm and the sound of neurotic people yelling at each other.

Have you ever been on Howard Stern?
I haven’t, actually. I’d be kind of terrified, but I’d also be very, very excited. What’s fun about his show is that you feel like you know the workplace environment so well and you know every character. It’s like a sitcom.

How do you listen to music?
I buy a ton on iTunes, and I’ve been doing Pandora more recently at home. I miss the world of going into CD stores, though. I was actually talking with [co-star] Jim [Parsons] about it the other day, how that was such a big part of our lives as kids and in college. When I would make any money, I would always equate it to how many CDs I could buy.

Are you a TV junkie?
Growing up, my whole schedule and life revolved around TV. As far as now, there are some shows that I won’t miss. Game of Thrones is a big one, Girls…whatever is on HBO, I’ll watch obsessively. The sad truth is that there is a fair amount of Bravo on my TiVo, and I can’t blame my wife as much as I’d like to. I have a very guilty dark side when it comes to the Real Housewives of anywhere.

Your character on The Big Bang Theory is an aerospace engineer. Do you ever try to keep up on the topic?
I do have an interest in physics, and I’ve attempted some of the books that are supposed to be easier to read—some Richard Feynman, The Elegant Universe and some Einstein. When something comes up on the show completely foreign to me, which tends to be a lot of the time—especially with the science fiction stuff—I’ll familiarize myself as much as I need to in order to make sense of what I’m saying.

Give us the skinny on your favorite app.
I really enjoy the dictionary app. I love words and looking them up and having a list of all these strange, cool ones that I didn’t understand or know before. I don’t know why.

The CW Stacks Up the Sci-Fi

Anthony Crupi — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:56:55 +0000

The CW today announced a radical tinkering of its prime-time Feng Shui, shifting two bubble series to Monday nights and placing its new series in unexpected time slots.

The new lineup centralizes the network’s sci-fi programming in a three-night midweek cluster, while pushing its more traditional fare to the margins. Starting with Tuesday nights, the first of the three genre showcases, the CW has paired its Vampire Diaries spinoff, The Originals, with its veteran franchise Supernatural.

Sliding The Originals in the 8 p.m. slot subverts the notion that new series are best served by leading out of established shows, and it also negates the possibility of an all-bloodsucker block. The time slot promises to be particularly challenging for The Originals, as it will go head-to-head with the 800-lb gorilla that is the ABC newbie Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The breakout drama Arrow returns to its Wednesday 8 p.m. perch, where it sets the table for the new sci-fi strip, The Tomorrow People. Based on the weird ‘70s U.K. kids’ show of the same name, TTP is about a race of high-cheekboned telepaths (Robbie Arnell, Peyton List, Luke Mitchell) who are being hunted down by a group of paramilitary scientists.

The pairing with Arrow should give the newcomer a lift; per Nielsen, the superhero drama was the most-watched series on the CW this season.

On Thursdays, the network’s top-rated show in the 18-34 demo, The Vampire Diaries, will lead into the costume drama Reign. That this hot-blooded story of the life of Mary, Queen of Scots (Adelaide Kane) is shacking up with a show about vampires is another odd twist, but placing Reign in the marquee time slot is a sure sign that the CW is in love with the new series.

In the past three seasons, two freshman series (Beauty and the Beast and Nikita) performed well enough in the post-VD slot to merit renewals, while the uneven Kevin Williamson drama The Secret Circle was one-and-done in 2011-12.

Bookending the three new nights are two pair of more earthbound returning series. Hart of Dixie and Beauty and the Beast stack up on Monday nights, while sophomore show The Carrie Diaries and the long-running America’s Next Top Model will strut their stuff on Fridays.

Midseason dramas include Star-Crossed (formerly Oxygen), a sort of interstellar Romeo and Juliet meets District 9, and The 100, a dystopian sci-fi caper about a group of juvenile delinquents who are sent back to Earth to determine if the planet can be re-inhabited 95 years after a global thermonuclear war killed off all sentient life.

Speaking at the CW’s upfront reception, president Mark Pedowitz said the network this summer wil look to revive Whose Line is it Anyway? Should the show find an audience, the CW would next try its hand at scripted comedy.

The last time the CW experimented with comedy was in 2010, when it picked up the Canadian import 18 to Life for a summer run. Low ratings prompted the network to yank the show after just three episodes. Before that, the CW aired 18 episodes of David Guarascio and Moses Port’s Aliens in America, its first and only original comedy series. (The net did carry a number of legacy comedies originally developed at precursors UPN and the WB.)

The CW’s fall schedule is as follows. New series are in bold:
 
MONDAY 
8-9 p.m. — Hart of Dixie 
9-10 p.m. — Beauty and the Beast 
TUESDAY 
8-9 p.m. — The Originals 
9-10 p.m. — Supernatural
WEDNESDAY 
8-9 p.m. — Arrow 
9-10 p.m. — The Tomorrow People
THURSDAY 
8-9 p.m. — The Vampire Diaries
9-10 p.m. — Reign 
FRIDAY 
8-9 p.m. — The Carrie Diaries
9-10 p.m. — America’s Next Top Model

TBD: Premiere dates and time slots for midseason dramas Star-Crossed and The 100, as well as the TMZ co-produced unscripted series, Famous in 12. A six-episode final season of Nikita is also due at a later date.

USA to Integrate Content and Social Chatter

Maura McGowan — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:41:04 +0000

Many TV networks have been partnering with Twitter to capitalize on the social media zeitgeist, but Comcast's USA Network is going rogue in the quest for cross-platform audience engagement.

USA will aggregate real-time conversations about its programming on Twitter and Facebook and incorporate them into its own revamped website and mobile platform, The Wall Street Journal reported. The cable channel plans to integrate social media conversations with USA's own content and run ads alongside.

Advertisers will be able to run ads on the TV and website simultaneously.

USA already has its own forum, Character Chatter, which draws 30,000 viewers at a time. The network hopes to monetize this audience, augmenting it with fans pulled from social media.

Jesse Redniss, senior vp of digital at USA Network, thinks that network partnerships with Twitter might be shortsighted, telling the Journal that Twitter is "kind of encroaching" on networks' relationships with their audiences. "We want advertisers to be able to come to us and say the best experience around this show is going to be on USA's properties," he said.

Though Twitter is the indisputable hub of TV hubbub, cable channels including Bravo, MTV and TBS have integrated social media into their own Web and mobile platforms.

USA Unveils Sci-Fi Drama Horizon, First Sitcom Pickups

Sam Thielman — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:32:06 +0000

USA is revisiting science fiction with a new show from Walking Dead producer Gale Ann Hurd, called Horizon. The show, set during the Second World War, will follow a secretary at the FBI as she investigates the death of her husband, the disappearance of a girl, and Nazi spies in the U.S. "Anybody who's a producer of Terminator 2 I'm a little bit in awe of," network co-president Jeff Wachtel told Adweek. "What you're seeing in Horizon is our desire to step into new areas and in new ways."

The 2013-14 season will also see USA's very first original sitcoms, which the network will launch using syndicated episodes of ABC's hit, Modern Family.

The two new comedies are Sirens, which follows Chicago EMTs who have trouble dealing with normal life; and Playing House, a single-camera sitcom about two best friends (Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham) who reunite after leading very different lives. Sirens is created by Denis Leary and Bob Fisher; Playing House is created by its stars. "They came in for a development meeting and we just fell in love with their energy," Wachtel said of St. Clair and Parham, both vets of improv troupe The Upright Citizens Brigade. "We said, 'let's just shoot a presentation,' and when we did, we were just so taken with it."

Chris McCumber (co-president with Wachtel), said that comedy "has been a long-term strategy for us," dating back to the 2010 acquisition of Modern Family. McCumber said that his team's research indicated "only 8 percent crossover between Modern Family (on USA) and viewers who watch it on ABC" in preparation for the show's debut this fall. "We think it's a sound strategy to launch our new comedies."

USA will also expand its daytime offerings with Cat Greenleaf's Talk Stoop, a show on New York NBC affiliate WNBC that will gain a national audience on the cable channel starting in the fourth quarter. Greenleaf will host USA's daytime programming block from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., a decision that will feature prominently in the network's pitch to advertisers—Talk Stoop will offer sponsored segments "that showcase products from USA's marketing partners," according to a network statement.