Advertainment

Advertainment has become increasingly popular over the years and is now used in a variety of formats, including films, television programs, video games, music and books.

The term first appeared in 1999 in an essay written by Patrizia Musso, an Italian university professor, and an expert in branding and advertising.

Hershey (the sponsor involved in the "Wings" promotion 55 years before) provided Reese's Pieces, and its product's sales dramatically increased, perhaps as much as 300%.

[6] FedEx gained exceptional brand placement in the 2000 Tom Hanks film "Cast Away," and in an unusual arrangement paid nothing for the exposure.

The plot involves a fatal crash of FedEx planes, and the company agreed to that negative exposure in return for significant brand presence, even provided filming locations at its package sorting hubs in Memphis, Los Angeles and Moscow, as well as airplanes, trucks, uniforms and logistical support.

Consumers have the ability to avoid such messaging through the commercial skipping feature applied in some Digital Video Recorders (DVR) or simply by switching channels.

A growing venue for advertainment is video games, sometimes called "advergaming", where product placement and partnerships may take a more dynamic role, according to researchers.

The first example of advertainment is a commercial created by the advertising agency Lowe for the British department stores Tesco; the first Italian example, instead, is represented by the Telecom commercials "A phone call extends life" (1993) featuring Massimo Lopez, who, from episode to episode, managed to postpone his own execution by requesting as a last wish to make a phone call.

[12] In 2005, television writers protested during advertising week demanding more input and profit with and from product placement deals.

Agencies have argued that advertainment is now needed because television viewers today are skipping commercials entirely with digital video recorders.

[14] Redbull's collaboration on a record-breaking space jump from 127,900 feet is cited within the advertising industry as an example of advertainment within compelling content.

[6] The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has regulations surrounding deceptive advertising, but they also state that advertainment does not make ‘objective claims’ about a product, so the rules do not apply.

"Deceptive marketing harms consumers’ health, welfare and financial resources, reduces people's privacy and self-esteem, and ultimately undermines trust in society.

"[17] Where children are concerned, many parents believe the idea of explicit advertainment is unfair because the target audience is perceived as vulnerable and unable to make informed decisions on their own.

[13] A well-placed product during a heavily watched television program can bring as much if not more advertising dollars and may be the only way to reach customers if commercials are skipped.