MTV Pushes iTV Ads in Cadbury Campaign

Richard Tedesco

Promo Xtra

July 8, 2008
 

MTV Networks is showcasing an interactive advertising template in a deal to promote Cadbury candy in a teen reality series debuting this week on the Dish Network.

MTVN’s N channel will screen interactive segments during “Queen Bees,” a series focusing on seven narcissistic teens who’ve been nominated by their families for the show. Three sets of questions will appear in the lower third of the screen, with opportunities for audience members to respond with their remote controls during commercial breaks.

Questions about the seven self-obsessed teens like “Is she sweet or sour?” will be posed, with the Sour Patch Kids logo accompanying each query.

Poll results will appear immediately after the show’s ad spots run, with one question about Cadbury’s Sour Patch Kids candy included during each of the half-hour primetime show’s eight episodes. “Queen Bees” premieres on July 11.

“This is our first ad-supported iTV deal, but there will be more to come,” said MTVN spokesman Mark Jafar. “We’re looking for more opportunities to interact with advertisers as much as possible.”

Dish Network has 10 million interactive subscribers.

Other MTVN shows with similar interactive elements are likely to appear this year, according to Jafar, who said MTV is eager to work with cable operators, as well as satellite providers. Dish Network has been particularly aggressive in pushing its interactive capabilities.

MTVN’s initial foray in iTV polling with N’s “Degrassi: The Next Generation” in September 2006 drew a 30% to 40% viewer participation rate. Spike TV’s 5th annual “Video Game Awards” garnered a 25% to 30% participation rate last December, with viewers spending an average of 30 minutes using the iTV function.