Sponsored Web Series

As advertisers and the creative industry workers continue to collaborate in the creation of web series I am increasingly interested in the way in which the brand of the products or services influences the genre and narratives of the content. In this series, IKEA has done the majority of the financial backing and thus the genre becomes a workspace comedy. As streaming video is increasingly colonized by advertisers and entertainment industry creative teams it will be fun to watch how the user generated genres that have been established on YouTube will co-exist with more traditional industry genres. Despite the amount of stars in this series it really seems to struggle to be anything more than a commercial.

Lunchtime is the New Prime Time with Fox

Fox television is currently running an advertisement during their coverage of the MLB playoffs for an internet service that they claim will bring "primetime to lunchtime." This information comes after recent research by Visible Measures that states that internet traffic increases on video websites during the "lunch hour." Fox has chosen to serve this audience by offering daily sports programming. Of the hour block the most interesting show is an homage to the Office called, Cubicle. The show "stars" a group of office workers who use the internet to settle disputes and create top ten lists. I am, as ever, fascinated by the development of the workspace audience and the assumption that that audience is male and interested in sophomoric comedy.

article on research:

http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-lunchtime-is-the-new-primetime-2009-10

Ctrl at NBC.com

Ctrl a web show at NBC.com is based on the idea of a magic keyboard. An cubicle bound employee played by Arrested Development's Tony Hale uses the keyboard to torture his boss and co-workers. The show is sponsored by Nestea and is incorporated into the diegesis of the story as a bottle of the beverage is spilled on the keyboard to begin the hi-jinx.

Madison and Vine in a Viral Video

The commercial for the new version of Microsoft Office has reached number 4 on the viral video chart. It seems to be taking notes directly from Donaton's Madison and Vine. It combines a satirical secret agent spot with information about the new office software. Comedy is key in this video as it self-consciously comments on the un-sexiness of a new software package.

Goldblum and Collective Intelligence

Jeff Goldblum Will Be Missed

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I have been reading Collective Intelligence by Pierre Levy this past week and I have been struck by his compelling writing style. I am not, however, convinced by his Utopian assertions. I wanted to provide a link to a recent example of "collective intelligence." Perhaps Levy underestimates the awesome allure of goofing off.

"Evony" a Workspace Media Massive Multiplayer

A desktop game that advertises its utility at "the office" or "the school." It argues that it will fix boredom and avoid detection. The game is similar to the Age of Empires but all of the saved information is stored online so that the user can access their game from whatever portal they can access. The advertising banners use the above appeal which focuses om cleavage.

Pogo.com