Commentary

Real Video Messaging: Watching Hulu Turns Minds To Mush

by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, February 3, 2009

Did you see a YouTube TV commercial in the Super Bowl -- or one from MySpace, or Facebook?

Some social networking or popular video platforms didn't make the cut, according to their marketing chiefs. Everyone has a good reason not to be in the highest-rated TV program of the year.

Internet marketing executives probably learned their lesson from airing almost two dozen commercials in ABC's 2000 Super Bowl, the year they were spending money they didn't really have.

Marketing and media executives are more appropriate these days. Spending $3 million for a commercial only seems appropriate when you might have a real product to sell, like a car.

But Internet marketers haven't given up. If one of your parent companies is NBC -- the network airing the Super Bowl this season -- then why the hell not advertise there? Thus, if you didn't know what Hulu.com was -- you and about 90 million other people now know about the NBC Universal/News Corp. video destination.

The good bit of news: The TV spot was pretty entertaining -- the most important piece of the puzzle on Super Bowl day. The message -- via Alec Baldwin -- was that while TV makes your mind mush, Internet video can make it vapor. Much fun -- especially from Baldwin's slippery TV executive persona on "30 Rock."

What does Hulu give you? Baldwin: "More of the celebral gelatinizing shows you want." (Hey, has NBC been reading my diary!)

Baldwin must be referring to all those dramas critics talk about these days -- the so-called "Golden Age of Drama."

Baldwin: "What are you going to do? Turn off your TV and your computer?"

Ah. You got me

2 comments about "Real Video Messaging: Watching Hulu Turns Minds To Mush".

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Mary lee Shalvoy from I28, February 3, 2009 at 2:09 p.m.

It's been reported that NBC got to run that ad for free:
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=99574
and I really liked the phrase "cerebral gelatinizing" and judging from the reactions of my teenagers, they did, too.
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Tim Schaefer from Data/D, February 3, 2009 at 2:33 p.m.

HULU's approach was excellent. As a viewer I thought they did a great job. I don't even care for 30 Rock, but I like Alec Baldwin's pitch for HULU. It shows that at least one broadcaster is finally up to date on the web. Another show, Chuck, I don't watch, but the 3D thing got me to watch it.

HULU is a joint project with FOX, however, interestingly enough FOX has a more shlock look to their sites, NBC wins again.

NBC has better websites, better girls on MSNBC, better lighting on their sets, and just smarter people. FOX and the rest of the broadcasting community should take a lesson from NBC.