• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, April 4, 2007

It's about time late night went maroon -- the new marketing color message for "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

Though I never took Kimmel for that earth tone of the color chart, when I think of his new marketing campaign, all I see is the color of some wall on those decorating shows on HGTV. By the way, what is David Letterman's hue? Blue, perhaps? Jay Leno must be all white - or all the colors of the NBC rainbow.

Those new ABC marketing lines: "Do you Jimmy"; "Real Men Jimmy"; and "The More I Jimmy the Better I Feel" is perfectly appropriate in a double-entendre mode of thinking. This is late night TV, after all. What else would we be doing on a weekday midnight?

Special TV promos have some nice, light and bouncy music asking viewers whether they Jimmy. Other marketing messages, such as on special hotel door notices, say: "Keep Out. I'm Gonna Jimmy Alone" or "Come In. We'll Jimmy Together." The other side should refer to cleaning up late nights.

The bigger question is why ABC hasn't had a marketing splash for Kimmel until now -- or, better yet, why now.

Perhaps ABC feels Kimmel has been slugging it out alone for too long, being an also-ran not only in the Letterman-Leno sweepstakes, but the Craig Ferguson-Conan O'Brien contest as well.

For ABC, it's time to at least slap some viewers around with a reminder that ABC not only has entertaining shows in prime time, but after hours as well.

In either case, it's nice to see those funny clips - Clay Aiken beating up Kimmel, or a wrestler beating up on Kimmel.

But don't blame me. It must be the color that gets people's dander up.

Just say the word "maroon'" -- and you'll laugh.