CBS, Pepsi Max unveil first-ever use of video in print
NEW YORK CBS announced an exciting new entertainment marketing breakthrough with soft drink Pepsi Max: the first-ever use of video in a print advertisement.
Video-in-print technology, to be packaged in a print ad spread in the Fall TV preview issue of Entertainment Weekly, is the centerpiece of an exclusive partnership between CBS and PepsiCo's Pepsi Max designed to launch the network's Monday night comedy lineup and new dramas; and to promote Pepsi Max, the first diet cola for men.
For the very first time, readers can watch video content straight from the printed page via a paper-thin interactive video player (featuring five channels of CBS and Pepsi Max content) to be inserted into CBS/Pepsi Max ads in select copies of Entertainment Weekly's Fall TV preview issue (Sept. 18 issue, on stands Friday, Sept. 11). The newest of CBS's long list of marketing innovations, such as the celebrated promotional eggs, flash drives in print ads and roof-top ads for airplane passengers, this VIP promotion provides an opportunity to sample CBS's new series in a remarkably unique and involving way. Omnicom's OMD, the media agency for CBS and PepsiCo, helped orchestrate the deal.
As Entertainment Weekly readers flip to the "Monday to the Max" CBS/Pepsi Max promotional spread they will be greeted with a specially-produced brief video featuring "The Big Bang Theory"'s Kaley Cuoco, Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki, in character as Penny, Sheldon and Leonard. The trio explains how to use the VIP player, while also chatting about Entertainment Weekly and exchanging some characteristically cutting remarks with each other. After the bit, the menu will feature options for upcoming shows on CBS, returning favorites and more.
The ground-breaking VIP player, developed and manufactured by Americhip, Inc., produces high quality video and audio, and is thin and durable enough to withstand the rigors of magazine binding and U.S. mail delivery.
"This is an extraordinary way to refresh how we interact with consumers," said Frank Cooper, chief marketing officer, portfolio brands, Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages. "We're constantly seeking new ways to reach and connect with our core audience, and, as part of this groundbreaking alliance, we're utilizing technology that's both surprising and engaging.Most importantly, we're adding value in the right context through a combination of great content and innovative partners. Pepsi Max's ‘I'm Good' spot plays well with the upbeat, irreverent voice that defines CBS's Monday night comedy lineup - putting it directly into the hands of a key demographic target - readers of Entertainment Weekly's Fall TV preview issue."