It seems that ABC (DIS) doesn't hold anything against the Geico Cavemen as they have ordered a pilot for a comedy that is tentatively going to be named "Cavemen." Included in the show would be the same characters you see in the various ads the company has put forth.
The whole premise behind the potential series will be that the cavemen will be shown as they "struggle with prejudice on a daily basis as they strive to live the lives of normal thirty-somethings in 2007 Atlanta."
This of course goes along with the way the story has been told through ads by Geico where the narrator says that the Web site of the company is so easy to use that "even a caveman can do it."
The network has recruited the same advertising copywriter that helped to create the "caveman" ads to also write the pilot for the show, according to the studio.
This doesn't mean that it will make it on TV, simply because its been ordered as a pilot. It's one of 14 that Touchstone Television alone is doing this spring. It'll be pretty interesting to see if it makes the cut.
This is pure genius, I hope the show turns out really well. People worry that TiVo will kill advertising, but I'm glad that they are forcing change. When brands make their message compelling enough to capture a full 30 minutes of my time instead of the 20 minutes of real content, it not only captures a greater share of my attention, but it leaves me feeling warm and fuzzy about the product.
I hope that one day we'll see the advertisers become studios of their own right and infuse their own creativity into a longer spots. Right now it's not possible because the networks and cable control the distribution channels, but by partnering and taking advantage of any and all consumer electronic devices that can deliver on demand content, I think the ad guys could do an end around on the studios bigwigs and produce their own content.
I think product placement will be a very effective tool for the studios and it's neat to see them come out with more shows that integrate real brands into them. There is a tremendous PR opportunity for the first show that runs without any 30 second ads.
Posted by: davis freeberg | March 2, 2007 8:41 PM | Permalink to Comment