• by Wayne Friedman , November 19, 2007

Sony Pictures' Crackle, the company's Web area for new video makers and other video content, has signed up its first major advertising deals.

Major brands including Pepsi, Honda, Epson, Sony Electronics, and Vodafone have signed on.

Crackle, formerly known as Grouper, relaunched this past July. The company says advertisers benefit from it syndicating content across many areas of the Web, including MySpace, Facebook, Bebo's Open Media, AOL, hi5, Piczo, WordPress, and others. Making this move somewhat easier for its content and advertisers, Crackle offers its own branded custom-built player.

For Crackle, Pepsi will work with the Web site's Minisode Network channel--a place where old TV shows, such as Pamela Anderson's "VIP," are condensed into shorter versions. Pepsi will go retro with its campaign, sporting Pepsi logos from the past 100 years.

Honda's Fit car brand will be the lead sponsor of the Shorts Channel, a place for short films. Sony Electronics and its high-definition TV, HDNA campaign effort will advertise on selected Crackle HD content. Epson will be a general-interest advertiser, showing up in a variety of Crackle areas.

Crackle says it is working with agencies and advertising networks, such as 24/7 Real Media, Adconion and Ozone Media, which sell across Europe, Australia, India and Canada. The goal is to gain local ad partnerships in those international markets.