• International Herald Tribune, Monday, June 2, 2008 12 PM

In an extreme example of how event marketing is blending with TV advertising, Honda recently ran an ad that consisted of live footage of 19 skydivers in action. The jumpers created formations spelling out the letters H, O, N, D and A before deploying their parachutes. The jump was broadcast in Britain last Thursday, during a three-minute commercial break in a reality television program.

Honda's live skydiving ad went far beyond other live ads that consist of comics in a TV studio or similar set-ups. Designed to grab the attention of viewers who use digital video recorders to skip ads, the stunt was the work of Honda's agencies in Britain: Wieden + Kennedy and Starcom. It seemed to work: The audience for the live jump grew from just under 2.1 million at the start to more than 2.2 million when it ended three minutes later.

To pull it off, the agencies had to pray for good weather and get special dispensation from British advertising regulators, who typically preview all television advertising.

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