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NBC tests sanity with pretzel-like 'Earl' ads If you want a glimpse into the mind-numbing, soul-crushing future of advertising, look no further than this bizarre promotion for NBC’s My Name Is Earl. Or is it for esurance? Or the new Speed Racer movie? It’s like one of those Russian dolls. Let me explain: First, there’s this banner ad on MSNBC. It offers to catch you up on the plot of My Name Is Earl with a summary by NBC president Jeff Zucker. That would be strange enough, except the NBC promotion is also “brought to you by esurance.” Clicking on the banner directs you to a pre-roll video for esurance, but the ad actually focuses on the insurance company’s tie-in with Speed Racer. After the pre-roll, you finally get to see the promotion you wanted to see. But guess what? Zucker starts off by showing you an esurance ad on his monitor! This fantastically pointless pig-pile of marketing doesn’t make me want to watch Earl, or buy insurance, or go see Speed Racer. It makes me want to throw Zucker in an alley with Roddy Piper and a pair of sunglasses. —Posted by David Griner

April 28, 2008 in Griner | Permalink

Comments

Ha! "They Live" Haven't seen a reference to0 that in forever!

Posted by: Steve Hall | Apr 28, 2008 2:38:33 PM

This is a perfect example of why people hate corporations.

They treat viewers/average people like stupid morons who will put up with anything. Let's see how that works out for them.

Posted by: ChrisM70 | Apr 28, 2008 3:42:43 PM

Now if they'd turned Earl into an Erin Esurance-esque animated character...

Posted by: Steve | Apr 28, 2008 7:37:50 PM

This is one of the final signs. The advertising age apocalypse is upon us. This is the dawn of the post-advertising age. In seriousness, I'm not surprised that a CMO clearly doesn't understand integrated marketing, but I am surprised that NBC -- a content media company -- doesn't understand how to create compelling marketing content that doesn't completely piss me off. If I ever had any inclination to watch that show or to care about what Zuckerman has to say, that inclination has completely evaporated. JG out.

Posted by: Jeremy Greenfield | Apr 29, 2008 4:36:35 PM

I want to personally thank you for watching that so I don't have to.

Posted by: everysandwich | May 2, 2008 9:10:42 AM

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