September 9, YDAU

Item from Cynthia Turner's CYNopsis, a guide to happenings in TV, Commercial and Movie Production that I subscribe to:

Here is product placement taken to a whole new level. London-based ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi has launched a new division called GUM, created to target the elusive teen and young 20s demo. The idea is simple, according to The Wall Street Journal: Saatchi & Saatchi is offering advertisers a sort of human billboard - that is, owning and naming their own all-female hip-hop band, having their products seen/used/worn on stage and in music videos, and if they want, paying a little extra, have their product names used within the lyrics of the band's songs. The band made its first appearance last evening at Saatchi & Saatchi offices, and unless you knew any better, you'd never know it was a marketing device. The agency calls this Branded Entertainment, and finds masking advertising within entertainment is a better way to reach this tough young demo. Also coming from GUM, commissioned entertainment for other media including TV, film, cellphones and video games.

As if it weren't bad enough to try to compete as an artist who strives to NOT sound pop, now there's this? For any of you who've read Infinite Jest, I see the Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment coming real fucking soon.