Walt Disney Co. is entering into long-form advertising when marketing its cell phone, Disney Mobile. The effort incorporates traditional infomercial elements, while leveraging parts of other media at
the same time. The initiative, still in development, consists of a half-hour TV series about the branded mobile service and gadget expected to debut on ABC Family by November. The show will
incorporate viewer-suggested story lines and "mix the rational and the entertainment to explain features that could make a difference in families keeping track of each other and of minutes," says
Vince Engel, the show's co-producer and executive creative director. In an economical use of the material, Engel estimates that 80 percent of the footage will turn up in other media, including the
Web, mall kiosk monitors, DVDs and TV commercial breaks. The project represents a trend among marketers--utilize long-form marketing methods to deliver ad messages that are not possible in traditional
30-second TV spots. "When you stop and show consumers the impact that [product usage] will have on their work, you will convert them, but this just isn't possible in 30 or 60 seconds," says Doug
Garnett, president, Atomic Direct. And given mounting retail pressure to sell from day one, long-form is needed to build online and offline buzz for products before they hit store shelves.
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