• Brandweek, Thursday, October 11, 2007 10:48 AM

NBC Universal has inked a deal with MasterCard that will put the credit card company deep into NBC's new police drama "Life." The net will air a series of "pod buster" commercials from MasterCard during the 10 p.m. show that give clues to the past of its lead character and the crime for which he was once jailed. The spots end by directing viewers to NBC.com if they want more info on the back-story, and that too will be sponsored by MasterCard.

"This is a great example of how we can partner with our clients to extend their marketing messages in unique ways that engage viewers throughout a commercial break," says Jim Hoffman, senior vice president for network entertainment sales at NBCU. And for the client, "through the use of innovative tactics like pod busters, we see a viable opportunity to gain key learnings on the best way to retain viewers during commercial breaks," notes Michael Lao, MasterCard's media vice president.

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