Pampers Backs Play for ‘Babies’

NEW YORK — Diaper brand
Pampers will offer cable distributors
two parenting-oriented
video-on-demand specials as
part of a promotional tie-in
with the August video-on-demand
premiere of the theatrical
movie Babies.

Procter & Gamble-owned
Pampers — through a partnership
with Babies distributor
Focus Features and NBC
Universal’s Digital Distribution
division — will offer one
episode each from two online
Pampers-produced video series.
Both will premiere on VOD
Aug. 17 alongside the debut of
Babies, a nonfiction film that simultaneously
follows the lives
of four newborn babies from
around the world, according to
NBCU officials.

The first Pampers series, “A
Parent Is Born,” follows the
lives of a couple who have a
baby after suffering through
two miscarriages. The second,
“Welcome to Parenthood,”
examines the plight of three
couples dealing with the joys
and challenges of parenting.

NBCU will package the
Pampers series, as well as the
movie, under a Babies VOD
category, which will also feature
baby-themed library content,
the programmer said. As
part of the partnership, Pampers
is also promoting “Babies
On Demand” on digital platforms,
including the website
Pampers.com, Facebook and
Twitter.

For Pampers, the tie-in provides
an opportunity to gain exposure
not only for the brand,
but also for its parent-targeted
online video offerings, according
to Michael Loyson, Pampers
brand manager at P&G.

“We’re particularly excited
about the extended reach for
our two parenting Web series,
‘A Parent is Born’ and the newly
launched ‘Welcome to Parenthood,’
through the novel
release strategy tied to the [Babies]
VOD release,” he said.

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.