Ad News (11/1)

Article: http://adage.com/article/media/target-neiman-seek-revenge-unveil-holiday-collection/237809/

Last Year Target announced that it would collaborate with Neiman Marcus and over a dozen high end designers to create a line for the 2012 holidays. This collection is being released on December 1st, and it is not the first time Target has paired up with a designer to create a less expensive line for Target.  The success of the Missoni for Target line sparked Target's interest to try a collaboration once more.  The line will be available for purchase at both Neiman Marcus as well as Targt stores, and in anticipation for its release, on November 11th, Target is buying over 10 minutes of ad time during the popular show Revenge on ABC to advertise its new collection.  Viewers will have to follow the spots in order to understand the story the ads are telling, which will be a subplot of the main episode.  Products from this collection will be embedded in the ads as well as the episode. Target's chief marketer Jeff Jones said that this partnership differs from anything else out there, because it is a "storyline that's a subplot of the main episode, not just a takeover, not product placement. It's a whole new level of integration."

Questions:

1. Do you think this "integration" with a popular show rather than just running spots, or product placement, will make this campaign less or more successful?

2. Since viewers will have to follow the spots in order to understand the sub-plot of the episode, do you think that this will be enough to increase the viewership of the ads?

3. Do you think that Jeff Jones is right in saying that this idea is a whole new level of integration? Or are there other instances where brands have tried this?

4.  If this is successful, do you think other brands/TV networks will try something similar in the future?