Comcast Push Team MLB, Gillette
K.C. Neel -- Multichannel News, 8/17/2008 3:51:00 AM
Comcast Spotlight is undertaking its sixth media promotional campaign with Proctor & Gamble this month by teaming up with Gillette and Major League Baseball to create the “Gillette 2008 MLB Rookie Reporter Showdown.”
Although P&G is trimming its ad spending this year, the company is moving ahead with its promo partnership with Comcast Spotlight. The showdown is a take-off on the reality show/contest genre featuring would-be on-air reporters competing in authentic reporter-style challenges. Forty-eight contestants must deliver an on-site report at a ballpark amidst enthusiastic fan distractions. They must also answer trivia questions on the fly and improvise a response to a creative (and sometimes far-fetched) scenario.
Viewers can vote for their favorite reporter between Aug. 25 and Sept. 14, according to Nancy Newman, Comcast Spotlight’s integrated marketing manager.
“We had casting calls in 25 markets earlier this year and some of them were really hilarious,” Newman said. “One guy sent in a video of him reporting on the game in his bathrobe with the Gillette logo in the background on his TV. One guy flew all the way from Japan to compete.”
Indeed, Samy Fineman, a member of the Air Force who also hosts a radio and TV show in Okinawa, Japan, was chosen to participate in a contest for a chance to broadcast the World Series.
For its part, Gillette wanted to promote four of its products — body wash, shampoo, razor blades and deodorant — so each market will spotlight four “reporters” incorporating each of those products in their spots. For instance, as part of the challenge, Fineman filmed a commercial for Gillette featuring Fusion shaving cream and a battery-operated razor. The ads will run during MLB games on Comcast’s local and regional ad inventory.
Comcast’s first Gillette spots started running Aug. 12, highlighting ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews who urges viewers to go to MLB.com/gillettereporter for details on the challenge and telling them to sign up for the World Series sweepstakes tickets.
The top vote-getter will win a trip for two to the 2008 World Series, contributing to MLB.com’s game coverage by conducting a post-game interview with a player or coach. In addition, two randomly selected fans who register to vote in the Rookie Reporter Showdown will win tickets to a World Series game.
Andrews will host the challenge throughout the promotion. In addition, promotional tune-in spots featuring Andrews and a Gillette message will air across a range of networks. The cities and teams participating in this year’s promotion are: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and Texas Rangers. Spots will be inserted on Comcast Spotlight’s regional and local inventory. Spots will also run online and off-site, according to Newman.
“Gillette wanted to reach a national audience but they also wanted to reach local demographics,” Newman said. “This promotion accomplishes both objectives.”
Comcast Spotlight acts as the in-house promotional agency, Newman explained.
“We create and produce everything leveraging all our platforms to make it a win-win for everyone,” she said.
Last year, Gillette sponsored the “Gillette Pit Crew Challenge” and contestants were charged with actual pit-crew tasks such as changing tires in seconds. Gillette brought in one of its young-gun NASCAR drivers as the host. The first promotion featured 20 guys singing “Take Me out to the Ballpark” in the shower. But this year’s promotion is the strongest one yet, Newman said, noting that Comcast and Gillette expect to expand the promotion next year with new components including VOD.
“This is an experiment year for Gillette,” she said. “But everyone is very happy so far with how it has gone and we expect great things with this promotion.”
