• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, November 17, 2006

Discovery Communications has created a separate media-planning team for new-media operations, and it has made marketing within video games one of its priorities.

Led by Chris Schembri, senior vice president, media planning and partnerships, the recently formed group is set to insert billboards for Discovery Channel's "Man vs. Wild" adventure series into online games from WildTangent and Xbox, among others.

The effort targets men in the 25-to-35 age range, and counts on the "shock value" of encountering displays for a true-life TV show during an "imaginary" game to boost awareness.

"We're making a concerted effort where it's appropriate to be part of that experience," Schembri says. "The gaming market is not just a bunch of kids in their basement."

Discovery's new-media team gained enough confidence that in-game marketing works with a previous effort for TLC's "Miami Ink." That's why it is branching out.

"It's being part of an immersive experience that most people remember," Schembri adds.

Schembri's group is experimenting with an array of fledgling media, including embedding videos for "Man vs. Wild" in an IM area on Yahoo targeting outdoor enthusiasts.

Discovery has also employed a MySpace page and banner ads on the popular site for TLC's "Life Lessons," as well as a mobile ad campaign to help launch Discovery's "I Shouldn't Be Alive."

"We're still kind of learning," Schembri says. "In a lot of these places, we're doing some tests and trying to figure out the best places to be."

Schembri's team works with media agency PHD on two fronts--planning new-media marketing initiatives for Discovery Communications' shows, and promoting the company's own broadband, VOD, iTunes and other non-linear offerings.

Despite its tendency toward the cutting-edge, Schembri says he still appreciates the effectiveness of "traditional media," especially with new twists. In that vein, both a TV Guide cover wrap and the insertion of a promotional DVD in Time Inc. magazines are being used to plug "Man vs. Wild" and "Everest: Beyond the Limit," respectively.

And a two-and-a-half-minute "Everest" spot is running in cinemas.