Nick at Nite, Febreze(R) and MediaVest Team Up to Unleash at the Poocharelli's, the Network's First Ever Original Mini-Sitcom With Brand Integration
Interstitial Comedy Series Follows Misadventures of a Suburban Family of Dogs
NEW YORK, March 14 -- Nick at Nite, Procter &
Gamble (P&G) and MediaVest USA, today announced an alliance to produce At The
Poocharelli's, a series of eight 90-second interstitials about a family of
canines that will integrate Febreze -- the popular fabric freshener and odor
remover, directly into many of the show's story lines. The mini-sitcom is the
first of its kind and will premiere on Nick at Nite -- the home to modern
classic sitcoms -- on Tuesday, April 11. It will be presented in weekly
installments every Tuesday evening at 9:57 p.m. ET/PT.
At The Poocharelli's is the first interstitial of its kind, as it moves
far beyond the classic vignette format and into a new realm. This is the first
time that a media services company, television network and a major brand --
like Febreze -- have worked together to make unique, short-form programming.
Together, the three companies collaborated on programming, creative
production, scripts, set design, graphics packaging and promotional elements.
"At The Poocharelli's is a clever and innovative way for us to marry
product integration with short-form sitcom programming that makes Febreze
stand out," explains Karen Bressner, Senior Vice President, Nick at Nite and
TV Land Ad Sales. "We are not only constantly seeking creative solutions for
advertisers needs, but ways to be able to entertain our viewers, so this is
the perfect answer. We are thrilled to have P&G take this bold new step with
us."
At the Poocharelli's is the result of a joint effort among P&G's Febreze
Brand, SMG United/MediaVest and Nick at Nite. It is a natural evolution for
Febreze and was driven by assessing the coinciding consumer insights of the
Febreze customer and the Nick at Nite viewer. As a leader in air care and
fabric refreshers, Febreze is the ideal tool for neutralizing lingering odors
in the home, therefore the brand's presence in At The Poocharellis intends to
showcase the connection between pet ownership and freshening the home.
"P&G views the integration of Febreze products into a mini-sitcom as a
breakthrough marketing concept," said Eric Huston, Brand Manager for Febreze.
"Leveraging the strategic investment and creative resources of MediaVest, this
partnership with Nick at Nite is the ideal way for the Febreze brand to
continue innovative thinking in the marketplace, and truly showcase Febreze
and its benefits in a way that is relatable to our consumers."
At The Poocharelli's, directed by comedy veteran Chris Koch of KONK (My
Name is Earl, Scrubs, A Guy Thing), follows the misadventures and daily lives
of a middle-class family of canines. The Poocharelli family consists of:
Maggie Poocharelli, the mom and a poodle who is the boss of the household; Dad
Pete, a hard-working, no nonsense chocolate lab; Brittany, a Yorkshire terrier
who is a sociable teenager; Cody, the eleven year-old troublemaking Jack
Russell; five West Highland terrier puppies; Gramps, the always-sleeping
mainstay who is a mixed terrier; and Evelyne, Maggie's cynical bulldog sister.
Like a traditional sitcom, the living room is the center of their
universe, where most of the storylines unfold, such as keeping the home fresh
and clean, working on projects or just spending time together like an average
American family. Upcoming At The Poocharelli's episodes include:
* "Maggie Quits" - Frustrated by the mess her family generates, Maggie
quits. But when the family cleans up the whole house to get her back -
they're in for a surprise!
* "Pete's Lost It" - Pete, a police dog, is passed over for a promotion
and he is convinced that it's because his sense of smell is gone. As it
turns out, his daughter has actually been using Febreze!
* "A Date for Evelyne" - Maggie's sister Evelyne is very single, and the
usually antagonistic Pete sets her up on a blind date. The results are
surprising for everyone!
While At The Poocharelli's is a new venture for P&G and the Febreze brand,
it is an offshoot of both TV Land and Nick at Nite's interstitial programming
which features product integration. Road Crew, which has been airing on Nick
at Nite since 2003, and Game Time, which premiered in September 2005 on TV
Land, both integrate advertisers messages and products in fun and entertaining
ways.
Nick at Nite programming characterizes what the network refers to as the
"Four F's": programming that is Family-Friendly, Funny and Familiar. Therefore
the brand's presence in At The Poocharelli's intends to showcase the
connection not only between pet ownership and freshening the home, but of the
benefits of programming on Nick at Nite, aimed at a busy, multi-tasking modern
family.
The Febreze family of products, which includes the Febreze Fabric
Refresher line, Febreze Air Effects(TM) and Febreze NOTICEables(TM), all
feature revolutionary odor eliminating technology. In addition, Febreze
Scentstories(TM) provides candle-like scents at the touch of a button.
Febreze products are fun, must-have tools that help keep your home smelling
fresh and clean, making the Febreze house the place to be. For more
information, visit http://www.febreze.com.
About P&G
Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the
world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality,
leadership brands, including Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R),
Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R). Bounty(R), Dawn(R), Pringles(R), Folgers(R),
Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Actonel(R),
Duracell(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella, Gillette(R), and Braun. The
P&G community consists of almost 140,000 employees working in over 80
countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and
in-depth information about P&G and its brands.
About Nick at Nite
Currently seen in more than 88 million U.S. homes, Nick at Nite is coming
off its highest-rated and most-watched year in the history of the network.
Founded in 1985, Nick at Nite is the home to hit sitcoms such as The Cosby
Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Who's The Boss?, Full House, Murphy Brown
and Roseanne. While these modern sitcoms will always be the lifeline of the
network, Nick at Nite Originals was created in 2003 to develop original
programming that meets what the network refers to as the "Four F's" criteria:
programming that is Family-Friendly, Funny and Familiar. Nick at Nite
Originals produced Fatherhood (June 2004), a show based on Bill Cosby's
best-selling book of the same name, which has been one of the highest rated
shows on the network. For more information about Nick at Nite's originals
line-ups, visit http://www.nickatnite.com. Nick at Nite and all related logos
and titles are trademarks of Viacom International, Inc.
About MTV Networks
MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world's
leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. MTV
Networks, with more than 100 channels worldwide, owns and operates the
following television programming services -- MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, VH1,
mtvU, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT,
NOGGIN, VH1 CLASSIC, LOGO, MTVN INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV
NETWORKS, a package of 13 digital services, with all of these networks
trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks connects with its audiences through
its robust consumer products businesses and its more than 95 interactive
properties worldwide, including online, broadband, wireless and interactive
television services and also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and
syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen
worldwide.
About MediaVest USA
MediaVest, a division of the Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG), a subsidiary
of Paris-based Publicis Groupe, is one of the leading, full-service media
specialist companies offering brand-building results and business solutions.
Heralded as one of the first media companies to consistently deliver
Innovation that Works and industry-first initiatives and products, MediaVest's
long-standing client partnerships include some of the world's leading
marketers including The Coca-Cola Company, Kraft, Masterfoods, Mattel and P&G.
For more information, please visit http://www.mediavestww.com.
SOURCE Procter & Gamble
Web Site: http://www.pg.com http://www.nickatnite.com
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