• by David Goetzl , March 7, 2007

When Nick Nolte got "red eye" after falling into a pool in 1986's "Down & Out in Beverly Hills" in this week's showing on AMC, viewers got a reminder that Visine takes the red out when an ad for the product popped up onto the TV screen.

Johnson & Johnson has a deal with the American Movie Channel to promote its Visine brand during cable movies this month in which characters battle visible eye irritation. The other movies included are "Volcano," which will run March 19, and "The Quick and the Dead," which airs March 29.

While AMC isn't using technology allowing for virtual product placement, J&J will run Visine commercials during the library films and receive billboards touting the brand's sponsorship. If the deal works from J&J's perspective, viewers will observe the struggling character, consider what they might do in a similar situation, and then receive an answer with a soon-to-follow Visine announcement.

Arlene Manos, president of ad sales at Rainbow Media, which oversees AMC, said: "We've created a customized advertising package allotting presence tied to specific movies for them to promote with their brand."

J&J has a history of marketing experimentation with Rainbow, having served as the sole advertiser for the launch year of female-targeted network, WE.

In order to garner more ad revenues in an increasingly competitive landscape, AMC has been aggressive in offering advertisers roles such as title sponsorships (Ford and Hyundai have both sponsored movie blocks) and a presence in on-air promos. The latter are considered somewhat TiVo-proof, since viewers are believed to be less likely to skip promos, which many view as information rather than advertising.