BMW and “Mad-vertising”
Here’s another article on this fascinating new advertising scheme for Mad Men. Okay, do I understand the nuances? No. Fortunately I’m a writer, not an advertising professional.
Here’s what I do understand: BMW will be “an exclusive premiere sponsor and series partner for season two of Mad Men.”
BMW will participate in the Mad-vertising, which I think is the stuff that Roberta likes so much; the conversational/factual bits about products and product advertising that precedes the regular commercials.
In addition, BMW will support a variety of network programming specials leading up to the new season, including a “Mad Men” season one marathon, and a special half-hour “Mad Men” documentary. BMW will also sponsor two additional episodes during the show’s second season.
I’m not sure I understand the “two additional episodes” thing. Does it mean the season will be two episodes longer? Does it mean two episodes besides the premiere will be BMW exclusives? Color me confused.
But I guess it’s pretty cool. And as we’ve said before, we want this show to succeed like crazy, because otherwise, there goes our hobby.
April 8th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Deb. it says…
As the exclusive premiere sponsor, BMW will also receive “enhanced exposure” throughout the first episode of “Mad Men” as well as throughout AMC’s promotional campaign leading up to the new season, which premieres this summer.
The two additional episodes mean, in addition to that first one there.
But holy crap, finally, a marathon!!! Not that we’ll need it, ’cause of how we’ll have the DVDs by then and all them extras. And a half hour documentary. I wonder if it will be all new, or just a compilation of the behind-the-scenes stuff that AMC has been producing of late?
April 8th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
“Enhanced exposure.” Hmmmmm. We’ve already heard that the debut episode is going to have lots of activity at Sterling Cooper, showcasing the agency at “the top of its game.”
What do you want to bet Sterling Cooper is pitching the BMW account in the season two premiere? Then as now, there is no more prestigious account for an ad agency to have than a car account, and that type of pitch is a frenzy of activity and brainstorming.
If Sterling Cooper wins the account, then there are opportunities throughout the year for other BMW integrations.
This is a very, very smart move for AMC. BMW is exactly the type of product the viewing demo for “Mad Men” could/should desire, and points to a new advertising paradigm to keep niche programs with small but desirable audiences on the air.
Just a thought. Or several.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Is “Educated” the same person as “Someone”?
If so, this is Scoop #2 … if not, then I’d have to ask what BMW’s profile in the US was in 1962 … I’m guessing not too high – could be wrong about that. It could be a bit of a stretch from an authenticity standpoint.
Similarly, what do we think about such an overt product placement on MM? This is the kind of thing we see on Damages or The Apprentice (alright, Apprentice is a low-blow, but still).
IMO, the minute they start talking about the product attributes of the new line of BMW’s c. 1962, or talking about the brand’s heritage in a brainstorm, I’m holding my nose, if not reaching for the remote. That would suck.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
I’m not gonna lie, dansj, I had the same reaction. I have loved the fluidity with which the products have moved through the show. You can’t tell who is a paid placement and who is not, (and sometimes even who is real and who… Belle Joile? is fictional) and Weiner confirmed that most are not (paid placements).
I will be crushed if Season Two starts feeling like one big commercial. And I have walked away from shows I’ve been loyal to, if they didn’t stay loyal to me. This one, I don’t see walking away from, what with the blog and all ;- )
But… if I were a brand new viewer and heard how great this was and THAT’S the new flavor? I dunno.
Maybe we’re over-reacting and misinterpreting. Us??? Nahh!!!
April 8th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
I agree. I hope Mad Men isn’t saturated with product placement, other than what we see as legitimate plot points within the show.
The BMW bit is interesting, though. I don’t know how entrenched they were in the United States in 1962, but in Great Brittain and the rest of Europe they were becoming hugely popular. By 1962, BMW had completely recovered from its near devastation following World War II and the Depression. This was around the time they introduced their 1500 model (which later became the BMW 2002). Those were the cute, zippy, little sports sedans that were so popular in the 60s and 70s. Here’s a picture of the 2002 from the late 1960s: http://img2.netcarshow.com/BMW-2002_1968_800×600_wallpaper_01.jpg The 1500 model was very similar to this one.
Another model that was gaining in popularity was their Isetta, or bubble car. Those were like precursors to the original Mini.
I remember seeing an article where Jon Hamm talks about Don Draper being in England. Given Duck’s connections and experience, maybe Sterling Cooper has decided to expand overseas, and will use BMW as a springboard. It may also be how Don hooks up with Rachel again. Maybe they run into each other while she’s on a buying excursion and he’s there pitching BMW?
They just can’t go to Paris! A sure sign that a show has jumped the shark is when they end up in Paris.
April 9th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
PS. Fact finding mission accomplished. As Deb confirmed, Someone Who Knows is actually someone who knows what Someone Who Knows claimed to know.
And Educated Guess is in fact someone making an educated guess, with no inside information regarding that which Educated Guess guessed about. (Which, as you can see, some of us are hoping is wrong. Or at least not entirely right.)
And sure, a woodchuck would chuck just exactly as much wood as a woodchuck could chuck, were a woodchuck in fact to chuck wood.
Hope that helps.
April 9th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
I didn’t know the thing about the woodchuck.
April 9th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Fact checking, my friend. It takes a woman to strange new lands.