In what appears to be a potentially risky new trend, a handful of marketers are using self-deprecating humor in branded entertainment initiatives in an attempt to get their commercial message across
to consumers. For example, in a recent branded entertainment segment on Comedy Central's "Stand-Up Nation," host Greg Giraldo demonstrated that the glove compartment in the latest Dodge Caliber is no
longer designed to hold maps and gasoline receipts. Instead, he said, it can also hold severed body parts. "The chill zone holds up to four hands!" Giraldo enthusiastically told the audience. In
another example, NASCAR collaborated with Columbia TriStar for the upcoming summer racing circuit send-up "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," starring Will Ferrell. "What I'm finding is
that brand marketers are keeping an open mind to these opportunities," said George Leon, executive vice president-worldwide consumer marketing at Columbia TriStar Consumer Marketing Group. However,
some critics are skeptical, and say the approach is too risky. "There is a lot of angst going into humor because marketers feel that someone's going to be offended by it, and they don't know what will
happen to their product," said Rob Donnell, president at branded entertainment company Brand Arc, Santa Monica, Calif.
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