Loading ...So you’re lounging at home watching the heartwarming movie “Father of the Bride Part II” on TV. Actor Steve Martin is stressing. His wife and daughter are both pregnant. And then — bam! — up pops an advertisement superimposed over part of the TV screen. “Expecting a baby?” the ad asks. “Call American Express Financial Services.” Within about 10 seconds, the ad is gone as the movie rolls on in the background. The experimental ads ran this summer on TNT, and executives at the Atlanta-based cable network don’t rule out using more pop-up ads.
None of this might be happening if traditional 30-second commercials got more respect. Many consumers treat them as an excuse to change channels. Advertisers worry they are losing their punch. And network executives fear commercial-skipping TV devices will make them obsolete.
So the TV business — trying to battle back from a depressed ad market — is trotting out a host of tactics that continue breaking down the already low barrier between commercial time and entertainment. Complete Story Here I don’t think too many of us Tivo and Replay TV users are going to apologize though. we have seen it coming for a while. Maybe it’s time to stop watching the boob-tube and just get DVD’s from Netflix. If you read the news online and listen to the radio - what are you really missing out on by not watching television? Yes you will be out of touch with the mainstream pop-monkey culture to a degree - but is that really a problem?
Then again, we have already seen shows start to return to the “golden age of television” sponsorship model where the products are in the actual programs. Why do we need pop-up ads too? Greed? [Comment on this Post]
