Mainstream media is beginning to pick up on the idea that in a world of infinite channels, brands can have their own shows, rather than looking for the best ones to advertise on.

Marketers have found a new way to try to keep viewers from tuning out: offer them TV shows, movies and online programming created by the marketers themselves, often with help from their advertising agencies.
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You-know-who may star in Burger King’s feature-length movie.

These new offerings, the marketers hope, will be entertaining enough to endear viewers to the brands behind them.

Burger King, for example, is making a feature-length film that may star — no surprise here — the “King” character of its ad campaign. Office Max recently created a show on the ABC Family channel. Anheuser-Busch plans to start a seven-channel TV network online, called BudTV.

“It’s the exploration of sort of a new world,” said Doug Powell, chief integrator of Maiden Lane, an advertising agency. “Clients would love to have a way for customers to be able to participate with their brands more often and not have to rely on the traditional media world.”

via New York Times