• Ad Age, Tuesday, September 28, 2010 11:01 AM

Andrew Hampp writes that two prime-time family movies designed to lure consumers to buy P&G products at Walmart -- "Secrets of the Mountain" and "The Jensen Project" -- are case studies for how networks and marketers can use entertainment to achieve scalable audiences, measurable product sales and active fan communities.

There has been a demonstrable impact at the cash register. Walmart gave extensive front-of-store real estate to participating brands -- big boppers such as Tide, Pampers and Gillette -- to drive viewership. And DVDs, featured prominently in Walmart's electronics section, became bestsellers. P&G says that favorability scores for brands advertised increased 26% among moms who saw the film, and purchase-intent scores were 2.7 times higher than for moms who didn't see it.

One problem, though, for those of you with smaller budgets than the behemoths: The movies, which are produced by P&G Productions, require a hefty up-front investment. "Secrets of the Mountain" alone reportedly cost $4.5 million to make.

Read the whole story at Ad Age »