The word “advertainment” continues our long social tradition of combining two unique words when we discover they support and/or magnify each other positively.
This concept may have started years ago with “brunch,” long before we even knew we were “hangry,” and continues today to describe innovative changes across the social, political, and business spectrum. My personal favorite word mash-up refers to the delicious, soul-enriching merger between the terms chocolate and peanut butter, which has come to be known as “Reese’s.” 🙂
Advertainment is a value-added connection of advertising and entertainment, a concept as old as simple product placement on shows like “I Love Lucy.” In our interconnected, over-stimulated world, advertisers and entertainers are combining in new and unique ways to reach and influence customers. Red Bull and Monster provide comprehensive sponsorship of action sports events, Coca-Cola cups are prominently displayed on American Idol, and a specific volleyball brand kept Tom Hanks company on a desert island during the movie “Castaway.” Can you name the brand?
At CSG we recognize the experiential connection between advertising and entertainment, and the lasting impression this connection leaves on a customer long after the traditional marketing campaign has ended. If you’re ever curious to see the effects of advertainment in action, try blurting out in a room “The Devil Wears…” and count how many people yell out “PRADA!” as an automatic response to a movie which came out in 2006. The brand, the experience, the connection, the recall — that’s advertainment.
Here are some links to other top advertainment examples.
http://mashable.com/2013/05/14/advertainment/#.4SVeWcr_iqz
http://www.outsourcemarketing.com/my-top-10-advertainment-list/