• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, November 18, 2009

Unilever's I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! brand is going show biz to promote its nutrition benefits over butter.

The "Turn the Tub Around" campaign, starring "Will & Grace" actress Megan Mullally, looks to capitalize on the TV talent show craze via song and dance videos featuring a playfully reworked version of the disco tune "Turn the Beat Around." ("Turn the tub around ... talking 'bout nutrition ...")

The commercial shows Mullally in the dairy aisle looking at the spread's label to compare it to butter. The store is suddenly transformed into a dance set, as Mullally and store employees break into a full-blown song-and-dance number.

The message: Consumers who look at the spread's label will see that they can enjoy its buttery taste without guilt, because it contains no trans-fat or cholesterol, and has 70% less saturated fat than butter.

The brand "is known for fun, tongue-in-cheek advertising," notes Barry Sands, Unilever senior brand manager for I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! "Here, we've created an original form of entertainment that combines the power of music and the talent of celebrities to get consumers to take action -- and sing the praises -- of our "Butter Taste/Better Health" message."

TV viewers are getting a sneak peek at the intentionally over-the-top TV creative in the form of a 30-second version that began airing this week during daytime and evening programming on network and cable. The full 90-second extravaganza, choreographed by Tyce Diorio of Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" and produced by North American Mindshare Entertainment, will air during the Dec. 16 finale of that show.

The short version can now be viewed online on iTV and TurnTheTubAround.com; the long version will also be on the site once it airs on the dance show in December.

In addition, a tool on the same site will enable consumers to upload their images and star in their own versions of the video, which can be shared with friends.

Extensive cross-channel support for the campaign will include an as-yet unrevealed additional promotional launch in January.