• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, April 11, 2013

Turner has linked with smartphone marketer HTC on a multiplatform initiative with a comedy short. A sketch starring actor James Van Der Beek will debut on the Funny or Die site and receive promotion on multiple networks, such as TBS and Adult Swim, as well as a Conan O’Brien site.
 
With a new HTC smartphone integrated in the content, the short (“The One”) parodying a dating show will also appear on 8,000 movie screens, as part of the pre-show ads running via the NCM Media Networks.

The HTC One will go against “Smart Phone, Flip Phone, Rotary Phone and ‘90s Phone.” Van Der Beek, who appeared in “Varsity Blues,” will play the show host.
 
Turner has a stake in Funny or Die, the site affiliated with Will Ferrell.  
 
Ed Wise, a senior vice president at Turner’s branded entertainment group, stated that “Funny Or Die” produces content “that people want to share within their social circles and that brands trust.”
 
HTC recently launched a phone that highlights Facebook Home. Funny Or Die is 6-years-old and has multiple viral hits to its credit. It claims more than 19 million unique users a month.