The shows themselves were six minutes long, and each aired in three two-minute intervals in an hour-and-a-half time span during the network's primetime lineup. At the time, CW President Dawn Ostroff was quick to point out that content wraps would "be based on concepts that could exist as 30-minute shows but are cut down." Moreover, she vowed that the content wraps would appeal to their audience.
And thus far, the data has shown that content wraps have. Younger demographics, which networks like the CW covet, are known to participate in "ad zapping," which essentially entails utilizing technological devices to skip commercials, as well as channel surfing. However, research found that younger viewers were much more likely to watch the content wraps than they were traditional commercials.
As a result of this success, the CW has decided to incorporate not only products into ads but also corporations in order to help combat the decreasing effectiveness of conventional advertisements. Yet they aren't simply creating ads to be shown during a break from someone's favorite CW program; they are incorporating the ads directly into the program itself.
On September 23 the CW launched CW Now, a news magazine-style program which airs on Sundays and highlights the hottest fashion, music, technology, and entertainment trends. However, the entire 30-minute show contains no commercials. The program itself incorporates segments that promote the featured company, as well as the products being discussed, in a manner that stays in line with the show's theme.
For example, the launch of CW Now featured the upcoming release of the much-anticipated video game Halo 3, part of the Xbox video game series. Sponsored by mega-retailer Wal-Mart, one of the segments discussed the game's pending release and its availability at Wal-Mart stores. In one instance, as an individual played the game, he noted that Wal-Mart was the best store from which a gamer could purchase the game in terms of ease and time.
While product placements in television shows and movies have been commonplace for quite some time, never before has a product or company been incorporated into a program to this extent. These shows are specifically designed to both entertain and increase viewers' interest in products and brands.
One possible drawback, however, may be the fact that the CW does not overtly let viewers know that programs are sponsored, which has the potential to upset a very finicky group if they feel they were deceived. On the other hand, some have argued that as long as this group is entertained, they won't mind who is supporting the program. As Ostroff stated, "If it's entertaining, that is all they care about."
Donna Speciale, president of investment and activation at MediaVest USA, explained why this development was a long-awaited yet welcome change within the industry: "We have been very proactive at pushing vendors [TV networks] to create new models because we knew people weren't watching commercials."
