• by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, April 24, 2023

Once, there was only the Upfront, in which participation was limited to the big broadcast networks and then, after a time, ad-supported basic cable.

Then along came the NewFront, a word coined to reflect the “new” media that were not TV networks, but were endeavoring to interest the ad buyers in considering their content -- mostly short-form and/or user-generated -- for sponsorships and other advertising opportunities.

This innovative new word traces its roots to 2008, but in all the years since, no one has come up with any other clever applications of the word “Front” for the annual spring sales season -- until now.

The TV Blog pondered this subject for about 15 minutes last week, and came up with the following ideas for new “Fronts” for your consideration:

WesternFront: All quiet? Not on your life at this freewheeling West Coast sales presentation bazaar that will give the L.A. ad community an opportunity right in their own backyards to take in the razzle dazzle of the New York Upfronts, but staged with Hollywood panache.

The case against: With its connection in the minds of many to the miseries of World War I ever since the publication of Erich Maria Remarque’s novel All Quiet on the Western Front in 1929, the phrase could be deemed by some as too negative to apply to a sales event that is meant to be upbeat.

EasternFront: If Southern California is to have its own WesternFront, then New York can have its own EasternFront series of sales presentations reflecting not only its location, but also the bare-knuckled approach to doing business that the Big Apple is known for.

The case against: But therein lies its biggest weakness. Even the most casual students of World War II are aware that “Eastern Front” refers to some of the worst fighting in Europe in the entire war. This too could be seen as a negative.

WarmFront: From the world of TV weather comes this happy phrase that portends the arrival of sunshine and warm temperatures, and reflects the warm welcome the TV networks extend to the ad-buying community each and every springtime in pursuit of their money.

The case against: There is no case against! 

ColdFront: By contrast, this name will not work at all. Unlike WarmFront, ColdFront is suggestive of how negotiations might sometimes go in the days and weeks after the warmth and amity of the Upfront parties has worn off.

The case against: See above.

DownInFront: This is a famous phrase containing the word “front” that everybody knows. But its only positive attribute might be in the way it suggests the idea of front-row seats and the honor and respect that they confer.

The case against: The problem is that when the phrase is yelled at an inconsiderate person who is standing at a ballgame when everyone else is seated, the result can be a no-holds-barred bleacher brawl. And that is nothing like the ad-sales process, right?

HomeFront: There’s no place like home, right? This name for a TV content advertising marketplace, suggestive of the warmth of the home hearth, is a no-brainer. The message to advertisers: “Come home to [insert network name]!” 

The case against: None whatsoever. Case closed.

Above image courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery, taken from WBD’s e-vite for this year’s Upfront on May 17.