• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, August 2, 2007

A year ago at a MediaPost event, Starcom chief John Muszynski spoke about the emerging trend of not just consumers, but advertisers becoming platform-agnostic. His thrust was that as popular content--he cited ABC's "Lost"--migrates to different outlets, advertisers eager to reach its devoted audience would find ways to insert their messages on those multiple platforms.

So, a Starcom client would "follow 'Lost'" to streaming on ABC.com, episodes on iTunes, perhaps mobile distribution, and whatever else pops up.

It's sort of a "surround sound" marketing approach, where perhaps the link between product and content brand can serve to elevate each other, a vision set out in a much-hyped address at an Ad Age event several years ago by then-Coke chief marketer Steve Heyer.

This summer, DirecTV is attempting the emergent "surround sound" strategy in its tie-in with the USA Network original series "Burn Notice," about a one-time spy essentially relieved of his duties or "burned" by his former employers.

The satellite operator's link with the series is near-ubiquitous, from presenting the premiere commercial-free to billboards leading into commercial breaks to product integration--then off-air to banner dominance on the series' Web site to a mobile game and more.

The July 19 episode demonstrates the tie-in at its most prevalent (one of the top product placements of the week, according to measurement firm iTVX). In addition to the "brought to you by" plugs, there are some DVR-proof attempts to pump the brand within the show itself. There's an on-screen "presented by DirecTV" tab during the action in the bottom of the screen that switches to a plug for the mobile game. And then there's an audio mention for the brand integrated into the dialogue, apparently one of two times that'll happen in the "Burn Notice" season.

It happens as a character meets up with the central figure, ex-spy Michael Westen (played by Jeffrey Donovan), and complains about his hijinks at a favorite bar, an establishment where they offer "DirecTV Sunday Ticket in HD."

The short line would likely have gone unnoticed by the audience, except for all the other DirecTV appearances.

No doubt, it's possible that the onslaught could burn DirecTV via backlash from viewers who feel they are simply a target of a marketing barrage.

But DirecTV has a certain cool factor that should protect it. It's carefully cultivating an image as the locus of HD programming, promising 100 HD channels by the end of the year. And in one billboard on the July 19 episode, a voiceover refers to it as "the future home of the most HD channels on the planet," with the slick-looking, sun-glassed Westen right there.

Also a smart move: making 'Sunday Ticket' the focus of the audio mention. That's a brand that has an appeal on any day.