• Advertising Age, Thursday, June 18, 2009 9:30 AM

The bad news: the upfront market has moved into its third week at a standstill. The good news: branded-entertainment pacts are still getting done. Food Network, for instance, just completed three deals for the upcoming second season of "The Next Iron Chef," premiering Oct. 4. "Next Iron Chef" was Food Network's highest-rated fourth-quarter show during its first season in 2007.

American Airlines, Kikkoman and Art Institutes have all signed on as sponsors for the show. Rick Wilbins, managing director at American Airlines, says that "Iron Chef" marks the first official upfront deal for his company, although the airline is "in talks with other media partners." "Iron Chef" qualified as a must-buy because of American Airlines' longtime strategy of aligning itself with iconic programming, dating back to its famous integration in "Home Alone," says Wilbins. "We've found that we get our message across with much more impact when we link our messaging to programming that appeals to people's passions."

Mike Evans, national sales VP for Kikkoman USA, notes that the program marks Kikkoman's first brand integration into a TV series.

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