• by David Goetzl , February 7, 2008

On a recent episode of "The Biggest Loser," contestant "Maggie" faces the camera and says: "I'm not a good cook, but I can make some oatmeal." And in that line comes a microcosm of the very power of a brand integration on the NBC reality competition show.

The series about shedding pounds has its roots some time around 2004, when the South Beach Diet and Atkins were all the rage. Ben Silverman, now head of programming at NBC but then a producer, wisely observed the rising interest Americans had in diets and losing weight --and its potential for a series.

As a producer, Silverman was credited with developing reality series that had advertising opportunities in mind from the first concept discussion. His "Biggest Loser"--where trainers try to teach contestants how to eat healthily (along with how best to exercise and other weight-loss tactics)--is a paradigm. For marketers looking to promote products for healthy living, it's a natural platform.

And the audience would seem to be right in their wheelhouse, with presumably a high concentration of people who may no longer believe in Atkins, but are still looking to grab weight-loss tips--along with some of the inspiration the oft-touching show provides.

Nabisco has used the show to plug its 100-calorie packs, where they are displayed as a sensible snacking option. Wrigley's, which is on a major corporate campaign to convince people that chewing gum can curtail an appetite, has woven itself in the show with one of the weight-loss coaches, Jillian Michaels, suggesting that a stick of gum can prevent nibbling while preparing a meal.

Brita filters has employed the series as part of its shrewd push to tap into the environmental movement in a way that has solid profit potential for it. Doing good as good business comes in the form of its efforts to reduce the use of environmentally harmful plastic water bottles. If it works, more people may eventually turn to Britas for their refreshment. And with water being about the healthiest thing there is, what better platform to promote its consumption via Britas than a show where improving one's health is at the core.

Which comes back to "Maggie," the contestant who may not be adept in the kitchen, but says she can make instant oatmeal. On the Jan. 22 episode, Quaker signed up to plug its Weight Control oatmeal brand (one of the top product placements of the week, according to measurement firm iTVX). The tactic is obvious: Look to clue the audience in to Weight Control as a healthy option with good taste, that's a cinch to prepare. For a dieter, does it get much better than something good for you, with good taste, that takes no good effort to make?

And "Maggie"--clearly not a paid endorser--highlights the very attractive ease factor

But before that, her team's coach, Bob Harper, does the opposite and makes like a paid endorser--Quaker pitchman. (Jillian and Bob's unabashed turns as spokespeople on the series sometimes smack of over-commercialization, but an audience looking for answers may hardly be offended--and the marketers don't seem to have complained a bit). Harper espouses the need for a healthy breakfast--er, the need for Quaker Weight Control in the AM. He opens a cabinet filled with it, then suggests either the maple and brown sugar flavor or the banana bread. The team responds enthusiastically to the latter.

"Yum, right?" he says in that unabashed spokesmodel role. Later, that continues with a recitation of contents: seven grams of protein, 160 calories and six grams of fiber.

To make his case, he surveys his team about what they normally have for breakfast, where answers range from chips and salsa to a steak-egg-and-cheese bagel with a soda to nothing but two cups of coffee.

While the team preps the Weight Control oatmea -as cameras provide ample product shots--Harper continues to hammer home the merits of a solid breakfast, saying it can serve as a springboard for a day full of healthy easting-"it's going to set the tone for the day of what you're going to eat."

One contestant, "Jackie," seems to have made a dietary change right away, telling the camera: "Since I've been here and since Bob has shown us how to eat differently, my entire concept of food has changed. When I eat that breakfast in the morning, that is what fuels me."

"Biggest Loser" airs Tuesdays and the day after the "Quaker" episode, it's likely many viewers hit the store looking for the company's product. A brand named "Weight Control" would seem to be a hard one to resist.