One of the last entertainment vestiges to be virtually commercial-free is becoming less and less so as marketers try to capitalize on the affluent, captured, and educated audience it offers. The venue
is theater, and more and more advertisers are trying to take advantage of it. Marketers are interested in theater as an ad venue for many reasons, but one of the most alluring is that theatergoers
can't zap through ads the way they do at home with digital video recorders and VCRs. Meanwhile, Broadway producers are eager to offset their soaring costs. They spent $165 million on expenses for new
productions in the season that ended in May 2005--up 23 percent from the previous year, according to the League of American Theatres and Producers. So far, the trend is showing up primarily in two
ways: live commercials and product placement in plays and musicals. "For the first time in its 73-year history, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular will use product placement," says Amy Willstatter,
founder of marketing firm Bridge to Hollywood and Broadway. She says she's "aggressively in the marketplace," seeking integration deals for acts such as "Santa's Workshop," where St. Nick prepares for
his gift drop-off. Another idea, theater naming rights, is also being considered.
advertisement
advertisement
Read the whole story at USA Today »
