ABC Television Network last month formed an unusual partnership with WPP Group’s media-buying arm MindShare North America to collaborate on programming. ABC and MindShare will develop prime-time shows for a broad family audience. That gives MindShare clients a platform for brand promotion in and around programming. Sears, Roebuck & Co. and Unilever expressed interest early on, but no deals had been announced at presstime.

MindShare wants promotional tie-ins beyond simple product placement, such as exclusive sponsorship of an episode or series. The media-buyer helped coordinate Sears’ sponsorship of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, a reported $1 million deal that puts Sears’ products and workmen in six episodes that are expected to begin airing this month or next.

In the broader ABC deal, New York City-based MindShare helps fund production and will share an undisclosed portion of profits from hit shows. MindShare also gets ad time as part of each series produced; time and rates will be set at the beginning of each project.

“This deal may prove to be a template that helps deliver compelling, cost-efficient programming to our viewers,” says ABC President Alex Wallau.

“The opportunity to participate from the beginning stages of series development will give our clients access to cross-marketing opportunities and seamless product integration,” says MindShare CEO Marc Goldstein in a statement.

MindShare recently hired former CBS Entertainment president Peter Tortorici as director of programming to work with WPP ad agencies and clients on program development. The deal reportedly came through ABC’s entertainment execs, not its sales division.

The ABC/MindShare partnership is likely to catch flak: Watchdog group Commercial Alert has asked the Federal Communications Commission to scrutinize product placement, and in November 2003 lobbied Sesame Workshop to drop McDonald’s sponsorship of Sesame Street. The issue will heat up as marketers thread brand messages into programming to circumvent commercial-zapping devices like TiVo, and consumer advocacy groups take umbrage with that practice. The ABC/MindShare deal could prove sensitive because it involves prime-time sitcoms and dramas, which have been considered off-limits despite promotional tie-ins with soap operas and other programming.

Burger King Corp. has formed an alliance with the President’s Challenge to bring the Presidential Active Lifestyle and Physical Fitness Awards to hundreds of schools across the U.S.

More than 200 market areas will be involved in the partnership, including many schools that, previous to the sponsorship, had not been able to afford the program’s recognition items.

“We have a lot of contact with kids every day, they are an important part of our business,” says Chris Northrup, marketing manager for youth and family. “We are concerned by the fact that kids aren’t as active as they used to be and by partnering with such a well-established organization we bring a broad awareness together for physical fitness.”

In addition to sponsoring schools, Burger King says it will help build awareness of the importance of physical fitness and activity in its kid-targeted Adventures newsletter, distributed monthly in restaurants to eight million kids and through the Kids Club, which hits more than five million kids. In January, kids meal bags and tray liners will feature the Challenge and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will serve as “spokesturtles” for the program.

As part of its partnership, Burger King has also created a micro-site on www.burgerking.com where kids can learn more about the program and link to a site where they can track their ongoing progress.

Burger King will provide awards for students completing the Challenge — a series of fitness and exercise tests for which a child can earn the Presidential Fitness Award — at one school in each market area.

The President’s Challenge, a program of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, motivates children to strive for health and fitness goals through daily physical activity.

ABC Television Network last month formed an unusual partnership with WPP Group’s media-buying arm MindShare North America to collaborate on programming. ABC and MindShare will develop prime-time shows for a broad family audience. That gives MindShare clients a platform for brand promotion in and around programming. Sears, Roebuck & Co. and Unilever expressed interest early on, but no deals had been announced at presstime.

MindShare wants promotional tie-ins beyond simple product placement, such as exclusive sponsorship of an episode or series. The media-buyer helped coordinate Sears’ sponsorship of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, a reported $1 million deal that puts Sears’ products and workmen in six episodes that are expected to begin airing this month or next.

In the broader ABC deal, New York City-based MindShare helps fund production and will share an undisclosed portion of profits from hit shows. MindShare also gets ad time as part of each series produced; time and rates will be set at the beginning of each project.

“This deal may prove to be a template that helps deliver compelling, cost-efficient programming to our viewers,” says ABC President Alex Wallau.

“The opportunity to participate from the beginning stages of series development will give our clients access to cross-marketing opportunities and seamless product integration,” says MindShare CEO Marc Goldstein in a statement.

MindShare recently hired former CBS Entertainment president Peter Tortorici as director of programming to work with WPP ad agencies and clients on program development. The deal reportedly came through ABC’s entertainment execs, not its sales division.

The ABC/MindShare partnership is likely to catch flak: Watchdog group Commercial Alert has asked the Federal Communications Commission to scrutinize product placement, and in November 2003 lobbied Sesame Workshop to drop McDonald’s sponsorship of Sesame Street. The issue will heat up as marketers thread brand messages into programming to circumvent commercial-zapping devices like TiVo, and consumer advocacy groups take umbrage with that practice. The ABC/MindShare deal could prove sensitive because it involves prime-time sitcoms and dramas, which have been considered off-limits despite promotional tie-ins with soap operas and other programming.

Burger King Corp. has formed an alliance with the President’s Challenge to bring the Presidential Active Lifestyle and Physical Fitness Awards to hundreds of schools across the U.S.

More than 200 market areas will be involved in the partnership, including many schools that, previous to the sponsorship, had not been able to afford the program’s recognition items.

“We have a lot of contact with kids every day, they are an important part of our business,” says Chris Northrup, marketing manager for youth and family. “We are concerned by the fact that kids aren’t as active as they used to be and by partnering with such a well-established organization we bring a broad awareness together for physical fitness.”

In addition to sponsoring schools, Burger King says it will help build awareness of the importance of physical fitness and activity in its kid-targeted Adventures newsletter, distributed monthly in restaurants to eight million kids and through the Kids Club, which hits more than five million kids. In January, kids meal bags and tray liners will feature the Challenge and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will serve as “spokesturtles” for the program.

As part of its partnership, Burger King has also created a micro-site on www.burgerking.com where kids can learn more about the program and link to a site where they can track their ongoing progress.

Burger King will provide awards for students completing the Challenge — a series of fitness and exercise tests for which a child can earn the Presidential Fitness Award — at one school in each market area.

The President’s Challenge, a program of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, motivates children to strive for health and fitness goals through daily physical activity.