Here at Engadget HD, we've been watching TV for a long, long time, and we can't honestly say that we've ever viewed
commercial time as content time. Nevertheless, MTV Networks is teaming up with Cadbury and DISH Network in order to launch its "first-ever advertiser-supported
interactive television campaign." Available "exclusively" to DISH Network customers (a curse disguised as a blessing?), the campaign will debut during The N's reality series
Queen Bees on July 11th at 9:00PM ET / PT. Put simply, it will present viewers with sets of questions to answer during the show (no, that's not distracting
at all), and in the next commercial break, the poll results will be shown. According to the outfits involved, this is their attempt to "reinvent commercial time as content time" and "encourage viewer retention throughout the pod." We're curious -- does anyone at MTV / Cadbury / DISH actually believe
this stuff, or does it just
sound great on a conference call?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Rob @ Jul 9th 2008 2:58PM
They can do whatever they want because I haven't watched MTV since 1992 when I graduated HS, back when MTV stood for "Music videos." MTV is to the rest of society, what BET is to the African-American community; a disgusting and immoral cancer. Nice to see Viacom pulling the strings behind it all. They have all their bases covered; Nick Jr, Nick, MTV or BET, Nick at Night.
J.Goodwin @ Jul 9th 2008 2:59PM
Viacom.
No more need be said.
Big Wizz @ Jul 9th 2008 3:55PM
Mmmmm,
MTV demographic are tweens/teenagers/young adults.
Don't they all text like mad?
Of course, the actual show will be horrible.
EQC @ Jul 9th 2008 9:13PM
I'm guessing viewers will cast their votes via text message?
Do "special text messaging fees" of $1 per vote apply?
Oh boy! A new way to throw away money!
Gah...this could be almost as bad as that stupid Jokes-via-Text-Message service I saw in TV commercials a few years ago:
Basically, they'd send you one joke per day via a text message to your cell phone...for "only" $1 per day!!! For a mere $365 a year, you could wow your friends with lousy, trite humor!!!!