• by Fern Siegel , May 27, 2008

It's the pleasure/"Payne" principle. TBS has partnered with Def Jam Records and R&B singer Chrisette Michele to promote Tyler Perry's "House of Payne." The campaign for the sitcom features a new song, "I Gotta Love Jones," by the Grammy-nominated Michele, which will be featured in on-air spots and ancillary promos.

"During the NBA All-Star game in February, we had a lot of fun and a lot of success using popular music to tap into viewers' love of both basketball and 'House of Payne'," said Vicky Free, vice president of entertainment marketing for TNT, TBS and TCM's Emerging Marketing and Partnerships business unit. "Now we're taking things a step further."

She says the campaign will reach viewers as they are "jonesing" for summer.

A key creative element is a 60-second music video that features LaVan Davis, Cassi Davis, Lance Gross, and Larramie Doc Shaw dancing along with Michele on "I Gotta Love Jones." A short piece on the making of the music video will be shown in Regal Cinemas around the country. Additional versions will be heard on TV and radio. Spots began May 22, and additional elements kick off in early June.

Michele will join the "Payne" cast at the 2008 Essence Music Festival for a special performance.