Cotton Sponsors Fashion Reality Web Series

Cotton, Inc. is sponsoring a reality Web series that tells the story of three aspiring fashion designers working under the guidance of Eric Vallency.

The 20 five-minute Webisodes of the series, “Inseam,” will be streamed weekly by Broadband Enterprises on its Web site starting Oct. 1. Each will be archived on a micro-site to be created for the series, as well as fashion and women 18-34 channels on the site.

Two 15-second ads will appear at the beginning and the end of each Webisode, and banners directing viewers to the Cotton, Inc. Web site will also appear.

“This series gave us an opportunity to weave our brand into the content,” Glen Sciachitano, Cotton director of advertising, said. “It provides us a vehicle to show our traditional ads around the content.”

Cotton figures the Webisodes, intended as an insider’s perspective on the fashion business, will reach a relatively young demographic. Women age 18-34 are a “huge priority” audience for Cotton, according to Sciachitano.

“We want them to understand that cotton’s not only comfortable, but fashionable to,” he said.

Broadband Enterprises was talking to Cotton about a possible show just as CO.OP TV, the independent producer behind the series, also approached the company.

While Cotton has been pushing its message with online campaigns previously, this marks its first foray into branded entertainment.

It’s the second branded production Broadband Enterprises is streaming this year. It ran a six-Webisode college dorm room makeover show dubbed “Dorm Storm” earlier this year with sponsor Hewlett-Packard. It currently has several other independent productions that it’s shopping to prospective sponsors, according to Steve Yanovsky, Broadband’s vice president of marketing.

Trailers for “Inseam” will be posted on Web sites that also appeal to women. There will also be ads posted on social networking sites and banner ads trumpeting the Oct. 1 debut on other sites.