With the nation’s increasing obsession with digital video recorders (DVR), companies are searching for ways to still get their message out there, without being skipped. If you watched NBC’s popular sitcom ‘30 Rock’ last week and didn’t DVR it, you probably saw a commercial featuring Chris Parnell as Dr. Spaceman, a character in the sitcom. Dr. Pepper and NBC’s strategy, using Chris Parnell’s character from the sitcom, as well as the way the commercial was visually shot, and how a ‘30 Rock’ promotion was tacked on at the end, is to create the illusion that the commercial is a part of ‘30 Rock,’ in hopes of keeping viewers interested.
Their main idea behind this tactic is if viewers see the beginning of the commercial, they will refrain from fast forwarding through the commercial because they are afraid they will miss something relating to the show. Since the commercial features a familiar character and actor who is typically associated with comedic roles, they expect the viewer will be even more interested in viewing the whole spot, since it has potential to be more entertaining than the average commercial.
This could not necessarily work for every company and every show, but has worked for years in many forms, some comedic and some serious. Though this isn’t the first time NBC has driven down this path, you may remember the MacGruber/SNL and Pepsi commercials, or Community and Turbo Tax, it reminds us that advertisers are constantly trying new ways to reach the public in lieu of the obstacles that new technology presents.
