In celebration of the most quintessentially human pursuit of all—DRTV!

BY DIANE PETRUZZELLI

More than our opposable thumbs separate us from animals. It is our imagination…and our capacity to hope and dream and believe. And yes, it is also our greed—the desire to get something for nothing. Now, where do we see all these very distinctively human qualities all come together? DRTV!

What else can it be but human optimism that explains our ability to persist in hoping that there is a way to brighter or more lifted skin or firmer thighs? What better tribute is there to human ingenuity and imagination than a blanket with sleeves or a way to grow garden tomatoes without a garden? And what better proof is there of human greed than the breakaway success of the Ginsu knife and the countless imitators it spawned in adding in more products for “absolutely free?” (But wait, there’s more!)

Sure, not every DRTV “miracle” product lived up to its claims. Reality is always hard pressed to meet the expectations laid out for it by our boundless hope. But many products did come close—close enough to make us want to buy again…and again and again. Infomercials supported an entire industry of practitioners and vendors, as well as spurred the overall economy. DRTV also has enriched our lives. Seriously, From “Saturday Night Live” spoofs (remember the Bass-o-matic?) to Ellen Degeneres and Bill Maher wearing Snuggies, DRTV provided inspiration for laughter. What channel flipper among us never stopped way longer than they expected, drawn in by the smiling faces and entertaining sales patter as a man vacuumed up dirt and tacks from a carpet in front of a TV audience.

Last but not least—and thankfully for all of us, DRTV made us buy. We thank ERA and all of its supporting members who continue to make the industry what it is today. As the final installment of Electronic Retailer’s celebration of the 25th anniversary of the infomercial, Rolfe Auerbach of Brand in Entertainment and Bob Dodd of DDTV2—two renowned industry leaders and ERA members—share their thoughts about the infomercial and what the industry has meant to them these past 25 years.

Diane Petruzzelli is SVP, new business development, at Fosina Marketing Group in Danbury, Conn., and a member of ERA’s PR Committee.

Rolfe Auerbach
CEO
Brand in Entertainment

Electronic Retailer: How did you get your start in the DRTV industry?

Rolfe Auerbach: Once upon a time between 1980 and 1995, I operated television stations. I sold airtime to almost everyone in the business.

ER: What product or products changed the face of DRTV within the past 25 years?

Auerbach: TiVo. It has eliminated the necessity for viewers to watch short-form infomercials and commercials. That’s why Brand in Entertainment has developed the ability to integrate infomercial product calls to action directly into the storyline of television and films in a manner in which the spot with an 800 number and URL become an integral part of the action and can’t be DVR’d out. The call to action remains part of the show or movie for the entire life of the content and generates orders as long as the 800 number and URL are active.

ER: What is your most memorable (insightful, funny or endearing) story of the DRTV industry/or a colleague in the industry to date?

Auerbach: On my desk is still a small statue that says: “The Fire Sale Award—June 1989—Sybervision” given to me by John Cabrinha and Dan Danielson of Mercury Media.

Bob Dodd
Chief Creative Officer
DDTV2

Electronic Retailer: How did you get your start in the DRTV industry?

Bob Dodd: I was working at the old Stone & Adler in Chicago when, uncharacteristically, the agency got a TV assignment. Since I was a produced Off-Loop playwright by night, the agency management decided to give me the assignment. They figured I was at least familiar with writing for action and the spoken word. The spot was a hit. More assignments came in quickly—my career took off.

ER: What’s the biggest change that’s occurred in the industry within the past 25 years?

Dodd: The biggest change in the DRTV industry has been the evolution of media. And I say this from a creative’s point of view. When I wrote my first spot in the early ’80s, a cable buy was not an assumption. Cable coverage itself was not an assumption. The rapid advent of cable and dish revolutionalized DRTV. Now we are in the Broadband revolution, which promises to be even more exciting for the DRTV industry.

ER: Who is the most interesting person you have met through the business?

Dodd: Bob Stone personally hired me and I worked with Lester Wunderman, so I’ve had the honor of knowing some of our industry’s “Founding Fathers.” Talent? Well, there’s all the real people and they have been great, plus Yogi Berra, Tony Orlando, Deepak Chopra and Olivia Newton-John, to name a few in an eclectic mix. My favorite, though, has to be Dick Van Dyke. That whole shoot was like a section of my youth coming to life—Mr. Van Dyke from the black-and-white “Dick Van Dyke Show” performing words I had written. But what I will remember as most charming is how kindly he sat and had his picture taken with every individual on the crew. Personally, I was too embarrassed to ask to be in a picture. Thanks to our media director I do have a picture, though, and I treasure it.

Pioneering Auction Presents Unprecedented Marketing and Brand Integration Opportunities at Attractive Auction Rates on January 20, 2010 at Christie’s New York City

    LOS ANGELES, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ — Brand in Entertainment (BiE), a
premier integration firm specializing in partnering with companies and
advertisers across numerous mediums to join brands and properties, has
announced their first Inaugural Integration Auction, Scatter Categories
2010 to be held on January 20th at Christie’s in New York City. The
invitation only auction produced by Empire Entertainment, Inc. and
Honeysweet Productions, will invite professional representatives and
advertising agencies to bid on exclusive packages to feature their services
and products among a variety of media platforms. An online auction preview
catalog will be available on BiE’s Web site by the end of November.

    Leveraging relationships with major advertising firms in the U.S. and
abroad, as well as with major studios, record companies and independent
production companies, BiE’s Inaugural Integration Auction 2010 will auction
off choice brand incorporation opportunities in a multitude of platforms,
including network television, online/Webisodes, graphic novels, films,
plays and more.

    “With the ever-growing list of media options, the advertising world has
been seeking a way to easily integrate their brands across today’s myriad
of content offerings while keeping an eye on maximizing value,” said Rolfe
Auerbach, Chief Executive Officer of BiE. “Our Inaugural Integration
Auction 2010 is the innovative complement to this desire by offering
content properties and brands the unique opportunity to partner with one
another through a highly productive, seamless event.”

    The live auction will feature the three most exciting auction category
opportunities led by famed auctioneer and BiE Chief Operating Officer Tere
Morris, while the silent auction will utilize IML technology. IML will
allow the auction attendees to place instant bids on items using keypad
devices. Viewable in real time on large-screen TVs, the keypads enable
participants to keep track of the bidding activity.

    Following the red carpet at 6:00 p.m. EST, recently appointed BiE
Chairman Jim Rose will be on hand to welcome auction attendees and present
a keynote address. Rose, a prominent figure in the advertising world, is
the current Chairman and CEO of Mosaic Sales Solutions and has previously
lent his expertise as CEO of MPG, the media buying arm of the leading
international advertising and communications group Havas.

    Inaugural Integration Auction 2010 Event Details – January 20, 2010

    Red Carpet/Cocktail Hour              6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
    Welcome by Jim Rose                   7:00 p.m.
    Live Auction                          7:15 p.m.
    Silent Auction featuring IML          Ongoing – tables close at 8:30 p.m.
    Technology
    For 2010, BiE currently has 33 films and 25 television projects
scheduled and is working on such films as “Henry’s Crime” starring Keanu
Reeves and James Caan, “Unamerican” starring Jessica Biel and John
Leguizamo, and has just finished work on “Meeting Spencer” with Jeffrey
Tambor.

    Brand in Entertainment is consistently ahead of the curve searching out
new opportunities for its clients and pairing these opportunities with
emerging technologies in order to create unique branding advantages. BiE
recognizes brand objectives and works with filmmakers to ensure that the
integration is a part of the mythology of their storyline. For more
information on Brand in Entertainment, please visit
http://brand-inentertainment.com.

    About Brand in Entertainment

    BiE is the premier Brand Integration firm with more than 35 years of
advertising experience. Based in Los Angeles, California, they work
directly with national and international brands to organically marry them
with entertainment properties. BiE is the matchmaker of Hollywood and
Madison Avenue, unifying entertainment properties and brands. Respectively,
BiE is sensitive to the creative integrity of the filmmaker/content
producer and seeks to create brand integrations best suited for the
storyline.

New York, NY (PRWEB) November 17, 2009 — PRWEB) November 17, 2009 — Rolfe Auerbach, President and CEO of Brand in Entertainment (BiE) announced today that the world’s major product brands and their advertising agencies will be invited to New York City along with entertainment media producers for a first ever ‘Product Integration Auction.’ During the announcement, it was revealed that an innovative new auction format will be utilized and the COO of BiE, Tere Morris, will be the featured auctioneer. Ms. Morris stated that her professional career as a noted auctioneer led her to the idea that she feels is “a remarkable new concept in brand integration opportunity.” Morris added that BiE will provide the first ever opportunity for leading producers to offer premier ‘product integration time’ directly to the appropriate brands and their advertising agencies via a live auction.

Tere Morris

According to Ms. Morris, BiE’s goal is to offer agencies and brand managers the opportunity to successfully integrate their brand objectives into a project’s story line while maintaining the integrity of the content. This opportunity is a win-win according to Morris, “producers get additional funding, and brands get additional exposure.” She added that the innovative concept of a product integration auction creates efficiencies and opportunities for producers and advertising agencies by saving them time and ensuring the best return on investment.

The Inaugural Integration Auction, to be held at Christie’s ‘Woods Room’ in New York City, will be a red carpet event on the evening of January 20, 2009. BiE is working diligently to offer the absolute best content available for bidding consideration. BiE’s auction preview catalog will be available on-line by end of November 2009, and continuously updated with new content, closing one week prior to the event on January 13, 2010. Tere Morris is a licensed Auctioneer in the City of New York, license number 1333460.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) September 10, 2009 — Brand-In Entertainment, a premier brand integration firm based in Los Angeles, formally announced the involvement of Nespresso® as a primary sponsor of the highly anticipated new series, Hollywood on the Rocks. Hollywood on the Rocks will be a contemporary show featured on Ovation TV, the only National cable channel devoted to art and contemporary culture. Mini Movie Channel is the show’s producer. The series will be a uniquely formatted program featuring Chris Gore hosting celebrity discussions and reviews of current and notable short film projects. Elena Muravina, CEO of Mini Movie Channel, commented, “The highly personal interviews and short films presented in the series are naturally complimented by the Nespresso specialty products that will actually be utilized in the series.

“Nestlé Nespresso is an operating unit of the Nestlé Group, the world’s leading food, beverage, nutrition and wellness company. Shanin Molinaro, Marketing Director, Nespresso North America stated, “Sharing Ovation TV’s passion for arts and culture, Nespresso is pleased to be a part of the network’s original new series, Hollywood on the Rocks.” Rolfe Auerbach, CEO of Brand in Entertainment added, “Brand-in Entertainment is proud to bridge the partnership of Ovation TV and Nespresso, two brands that clearly reach affluent and discerning demographics. The collaboration between Nespresso and Ovation is a completely new business model using brand integration.” In response to the announcement, Kris Slava from Ovation TV commented, “We couldn’t be more pleased to have Nespresso as a partner in our new series, Hollywood on the Rocks. Ovation’s audience is always highly engaged, and this is just the sort of entertaining, informative look at contemporary culture that they respond to.”

For More Information, Please Visit:

Brand-In Entertainment                              
www.brand-inentertainment.com

Nespresso
www.nespresso.com

OvationTV   
www.ovationtv.com

Rolfe Auerbach, CEO of Brand-in Entertainment

© Copyright, PR Web. All Rights Reserved

AFM, The Premiere Marketplace for Independent Film and Entertainment Production and Distribution, will be held November 4-11, 2009 in Santa Monica, California.

Santa Monica, CA August 19, 2009 — Founded in 1981, the American Film Market (AFM) has become the premiere global marketplace where Hollywood’s decision-makers and trendsetters come together. Unlike a film festival, the AFM is a marketplace where production and distribution deals are closed. In just eight days, more than $800 million in deals will be negotiated, on both completed films and those in the initial stages of production; making AFM the largest film and distribution market event in the world.

With the announcement of Brand-in Entertainment (BiE) as the official brand integration company of the 2009 AFM, AFM Managing Director Jonathan Wolf stated, “It’s a great benefit to independent film makers to have Brand-in Entertainment as the official brand integration company of AFM 2009. They are a leading resource for secondary funding of entertainment projects.”

BiE President, Rolfe Auerbach, added, “For the last two years Brand-in Entertainment has enjoyed participating as a sponsor of the AFM. We look forward to the 2009 market in our expanded role as the official brand integration company of 2009 AFM. And, we look forward to the opportunity to meet with more producers and add their projects to our already impressive list of quality films.”

It’s a great benefit to independent film makers to have Brand-in Entertainment as the official brand integration company of AFM 2009. They are a leading resource for secondary funding of entertainment projects.For the last two years Brand-in Entertainment has enjoyed participating as a sponsor of the AFM. We look forward to the 2009 market in our expanded role as the official brand integration company of 2009 AFM. And, we look forward to the opportunity to meet with more producers and add their projects to our already impressive list of quality films.With the reality of Digital Video Recorders and today’s multi-tasking consumer, I believe effective brand integration is key for the successful sponsorship and funding of entertainment projects. According to Mr. Auerbach, BiE will be holding meetings on new films throughout the AFM. BiE creates product-integration in projects and assists them through secondary funding in a variety of entertainment media including Theatrical Movies, TV Movies, TV Series (both scripted and unscripted), music videos, music tours, Broadway, web-isodes, books, graphic novels, Internet and mobile phones.

Mr. Auerbach added, “With the reality of Digital Video Recorders and today’s multi-tasking consumer, I believe effective brand integration is key for the successful sponsorship and funding of entertainment projects.”

Please contact Karon Crosby at               818.261.0335   for more information. www.kcprm.com.