| EVENT REPORT 09.30.09 8:00 AM |
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Advertising Week Finishes With Late-Night Commercial Screening
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 | The simple setting for the "Night of the AdEaters"
Photo: Alice and Chris for BizBash |
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With an estimated 60,000 advertising and media executives in attendance every year, Advertising Week is one of the largest U.S. gatherings for the Madison Avenue crowd. This year a new event, the "Night of the AdEaters"—a screening of some of world's most creative commercials—concluded the five-day outing on Friday night. Introduced to Europe in 1981 by Jean Marie Boursicot, the "Night of the AdEaters"—or "La Nuit des Publivores" as it was originally known—is designed to acknowledge and inspire cinematic innovation in advertising and now takes place in more than 160 cities around the world.
To bring the show to New York for the first time and raise funds for Advertising Week's charity organization, GeneratioNext, two media agencies, Findr Interactive and Gravity Media, gathered about 740 advertising folks and more than a dozen sponsors for an event at Terminal 5 that started at 8 p.m. and ended around 1 a.m. Presenting 200 or so television spots from more than 40 countries, the organizers charged $99 per ticket, a price that was discounted to $50 at the door.
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Advertising Week, CBS, Reuters, The New York Daily News, AMNY, Pulse 87.7 FM, Liberty Reserve, OpenSkies Airlines |
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| NEWS 09.23.09 2:14 PM |
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In the News: Guerrilla Stunt Opens Dialogue With the Law, Emmys Bounce Back
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Burlington Covers Tracks for Stunt: Marketers still haven't recovered from the failure of Cartoon Network's 2007 Boston stunt, which infamously prompted the city to brace for a terrorist attack and included such fallout as network exec's resignation and a $1 million fine. In hopes of avoiding a similar stir when planting 500 unattended messenger bags around New York City last week, Burlington Coat Factory coordinated the stunt with local police to make sure nobody was caught off guard. They also made a concerted effort to keep all of the bags—each containing a gift card to the retailer's new "store in a store," the Factory—on pre-approved private property and monitored by event staff. Planners reportedly interviewed bloggers who covered the Boston incident to find out how to stay on the right track. [NYP]
Most-Watched Emmys Since 2006: Producer Don Mischer and host Neil Patrick Harris received most of the credit this week for a positively reviewed Emmy presentation and a highly watched telecast. Ratings were up to 13.3 million viewers for Sunday's show, a 1 million gain from last year's highly criticized outing. The 2009 show marks the biggest audience the Emmys have drawn since 2006, and many think the quicker pace of grouped awards—by comedy, reality, long-form, variety, and drama—made for a more accessible broadcast. [Variety]
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Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, CBS, Emmys, Neil Patrick Harris, Burlington Coat Factory, Cartoon Network, Paranormal Activity, Paramount |
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| NEWS 06.18.09 11:52 AM |
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Emmys Move Back to September 20 to Avoid Conflict With MTV VMAs
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Just a few weeks after announcing a date change to September 13 to avoid broadcast competition with the NFL, CBS and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences have backed down on their move, opting to go with the original plan of a September 20 ceremony for the 2009 Emmy Awards. The partners cite a conflict with MTV's Video Music Awards as the reason for switching back.
"After we announced plans for September 13, MTV informed us they were locked into the same day for the Video Music Awards, with venue and sponsorship agreements in place," CBS executive vice president of specials, music, and live events Jack Sussman told Variety. "We had the flexibility to move; they didn't. It's best for the industry and the audience that these events not compete against each other."
CBS and MTV are corporate cousins of a sort; although CBS is no longer owned by Viacom, MTV's parent, both are controlled by Sumner Redstone.
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Emmys, CBS, MTV, MTV Networks, MTV Video Music Awards, Viacom, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, HBO, Comedy Central |
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| EVENT REPORT 05.21.09 4:00 PM |
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Upfront Report Card: Guests Liked CBS's Club Atmosphere, Wondered Where the Food Was
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 | A projection of The Mentalist star Simon Baker at the CBS after-party
Photo: Courtesy of CBS |
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After skipping its traditional upfront after-party in 2008, CBS returned this year with a three-story event at Terminal 5 that made use of the network's shows in both the decor and the music. Each of the venue's three floors was crammed with crowd-pleasing bars, but food and talent proved to be a bit more elusive. Actors LL Cool J, Simon Baker, and Neil Patrick Harris were among the stars in attendance, but each seemed to get lost in the mob.
Guests who bussed over from CBS's Carnegie Hall presentation were greeted at Terminal 5 by a packed crowd. The second and third floors were both open for the party, but it took everyone a bit to circulate throughout the venue. With the help of Los Angeles' Along Came Mary Productions, CBS filled the space with projected clips of future, current, and historic programs on three transparent screens above the main floor and against the network's massive logo hovering over the stage. The television series also found their way into the music, with the DJ spinning mash-ups of current songs and vintage theme music. (It's quite likely no one had ever heard the Andy Griffith Show whistling over Beyonce's "Single Ladies" before last night.)
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Upfront Week, Upfronts, CBS |
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| NEWS 04.30.09 3:14 PM |
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Upfront Update: Who's Doing What During the TV Networks' Big Sales Week
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 | The 2008 Fox upfront party
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash |
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Cable upfront presentations have been under way since mid-March, but May heralds the arrival of the network presentations, with their heavy delegations of out-of-town media buyers and—when it suits them—some fairly elaborate parties. Upfront Week itself is little more than two weeks off, starting with Fox on Monday, May 18, and concluding Thursday, May 21, with the CW. Although events look to be subdued once again, they’re looking up from 2008.
Last year NBC sent the already W.G.A. strike-addled upfront schedule into a tizzy by abandoning its long-established Monday presentation and opting for a series of meetings in early April. Sort of sticking to its guns, the network is still meeting with buyers early, but not as early as last year. After a small pitch at this year’s Super Bowl, NBC’s big sell takes place next week in its 30 Rockefeller headquarters, with a series of meetings and conference calls on May 4.
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Upfronts, Upfront Week, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, The CW, ESPN, Turner Entertianment, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim |
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| NEWS 01.30.09 12:09 PM |
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This Year's Upfront Week Falls Into Place, Starts at Super Bowl
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 | The 2008 Fox upfront party
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash |
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The economy and the television industry may not be in the most stable position at the start of 2009, but The Hollywood Reporter noted that this year's upfront sales pitches—slated for May 18 through 21 in New York—won't look much different from the pared down, more businesslike presentations seen during the 2008 Upfront Week.
NBC still plans to forgo its old presentation at Radio City Music Hall for intimate "in-front" meetings with advertisers in April, and there definitely won’t be a return of last year’s carnival-like “NBC Experience” at Rockefeller Plaza.
The network actually plans to get an early jump on advertiser wooing at this Sunday’s Super Bowl. "They would never show you programming," a media buyer told The Hollywood Reporter, referring to past sporting events where networks entertained buyers. "I think the NBC plan is smart because they have a larger percentage of clients at the Super Bowl than they would at the upfront."
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Upfront Week, Upfronts, CBS, NBC, The CW, ABC, Super Bowl |
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| NEWS 11.04.08 1:33 PM |
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Networks Bank on Big Election Night With Outdoor Broadcasts
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Over the past two decades, election coverage on the major television networks has gradually moved from the newsroom to street-side studios and open-air stages. This year proves to be a culmination of sorts, with ABC, Fox News, and NBC all making a big push to incorporate the streets and people of New York into their national broadcasts.
ABC News takes over Good Morning America’s Times Square headquarters this evening, with reporters stationed outside, interacting with the public. In addition to using its own marquee screen above the studio, the network rented electronic signs from Reuters, Nasdaq, and the Hard Rock Cafe to broadcast live feeds of its coverage.
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Election '08, Barack Obama, John McCain, ABC, ABC News, NBC, CBS, CBS News, Fox, Fox News |
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| NEWS 10.16.08 5:39 PM |
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Recording Academy Announces New Grammy Nomination Concert for TV
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FROM LOS ANGELES
The Recording Academy announced today that, for the first time, nominations for the annual Grammy awards will be announced live on primetime TV. "The Grammy Nominations Concert Live—Countdown to Music's Biggest Night" will announce noms, feature performances by past winners, and try to get viewers amped for the 51st annual awards on February 8, 2009.
The one-hour special will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre on December 3 on CBS, and also will celebrate the grand opening of the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live. Tickets to the live event will be available for sale to the public, with proceeds benefitting the museum. The academy plans to announce a list of presenters and performers soon. —Alesandra Dubin
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Grammys, Recording Academy, CBS |
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| NEWS 05.15.08 4:07 PM |
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Media Buyers' Diaries: Adult Swim Fills the CBS Void
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 | | A cell phone pic of Kanye West performing at the Adult Swim party |
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As Upfront Week soldiers on, our weary media-buyer correspondents keep working hard, playing hard, and sleuthing even harder at the presentations and parties. On Wednesday they went to the Turner Entertainment Networks presentation at Hammerstein Ballroom, the CBS Carnegie Hall presentation, and Adult Swim's Kanye West-fueled party at Spotlight Live. With most everyone already annoyed with CBS for canceling their beloved annual shindig at Tavern on the Green, presenter Rachael Ray’s stab at analogizing CBS syndication to a chicken barbecue sandwich (with Dr. Phil as the onions) did not win the network any fans. Here are our media buyers' takes on the busy day.
"Kelly Kapowski," 30, is a senior media buyer in the broadcast department at MediaEdge CIA.
"The CBS upfront is notorious for their party at the Tavern on the Green. It’s the party of the year. It’s what we look forward to. We're all too aware of the hit CBS took over the past year, so we couldn't expect the lavish party, but that doesn't mean we can't be bummed it was canceled. Since I'm in local buying—and we're the stepchild for the industry—we didn't get invited to the celebrity-filled after-party. We went to Providence with local station personnel and CBS spot reps. On any other night it would've been a great party, but since this was the alternative, it was a downer. The sliders were too big to eat without a plate, and the crab cakes were too small to fill you up. The pizza with olives was good, but it paled in comparison to the extravagant display from Tavern on the Green. And the lack of celebs to gawk at just made it a drinking session with the CBS boys.
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Upfronts, Upfront Week, Media Buyers' Diaries, CBS, Adult Swim, Turner Entertainment Networks |
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| NEWS 05.14.08 5:56 PM |
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Media Buyers' Diaries: CW Does What It Does Best, ABC Relies on Kimmel
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 | | A cell-phone shot of Maroon 5 at the CW party. |
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During Upfront Week, we've asked several media buyers to file reports from the various parties and presentations. Our anonymous correspondents were out on the prowl again yesterday, hitting up ESPN's morning presentation at the Nokia Theater, ABC's pared-down showcase at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall, and the CW's concert-party-presentation at the Tent at Lincoln Center. ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson got laughs yesterday when, at the end of of the network's run-through, he thanked the CW for hosting their after-party. (For the past several years ABC has held its post-presentation party at the tent, a spot that the CW was quick to fill this year.) Here's what the media buyers thought.
"Kelly Kapowski," 30, is a senior media buyer in the broadcast department at MediaEdge CIA, where she has worked for nine years. She works with auto and retail clients in local markets; this is her seventh year attending the upfronts. Here's what she had to say about the CW party.
“When you start out being handed an apple martini without having to ask for it, you know it'll be a fun night. I have to admit that I had always loved going to Bryant Park for CW's luncheon, so when I realized this [year’s party] was on personal time, selfishly I took issue. But did I mention the part about the apple martini? The cocktail hour was nice; the food was a definite upgrade from the buffet of years past. I usually don't discuss bathrooms, but the trailer bathrooms were the nicest Porta-Johns I've ever been in. Maroon 5 was great—an appropriate and wonderful surprise. And the 20-plus-minute presentation was fast and direct—thankfully, as not all of us had seats. All in all, it was simple, quick, and fun. As most of the upfronts are changing design and landscape this year, I think the CW did what they do best: provide simple, mindless entertainment."
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Upfronts, Upfront Week, Media Buyers' Diaries, The CW, ESPN, CBS |
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