Green Machine, MSNBC, The Incredile Hulk: Stealth Cross Marketing

The Green Machine: MSNBC News “pimps” their ride
by London Shearer Allen
StinkyJournalism.org



When MSNBC posted an Incredible Hulk, "Green Machine" quiz--it was part of a publicity campaign for Universal Studio's new movie. However, there was no disclosure by MSNBC that they were helping promote their parent company's product. At the same time they were helping promote the Hulk,"Green Machine," MSNBC was also marketing yet another "Green Machine"-- their own, so-called, news gathering vehicle. Note: Even the slogan emblazoned on the MSNBC "green machine" car states, "green is universal." Is this coincidence or another nod to Universal Studios?

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MSNBC and Fox News election coverage has gone green – did anyone notice? News reports have been coming in from the two networks’ “ecologically friendly newsgathering vehicles.” Fox News’ dubbed theirs the ‘ Election Link’ vehicle. One assumes MSNBC’s more whimsical name, “Green Machine,” refers to the green movement – right?

Maybe not. MSNBC’s Green Machine, a Ford Escape, was launched on the Nightly News, April 22, 2008. NBC parent company of MSNBC, had already “debuted” the “mean green streaming machine" aka the new Ford Escape, with cross-marketing on its Today show, the day before, April 21st. Three weeks later, Universal Studios (a.k.a NBC) released its feature film “The Incredible Hulk,” also marketed as “the Green Machine,” on June 13th, 2008.

By June 15, MSNBC News website published a “quiz” titled, “Hulk out! Take our green machine quiz. How much do you know about the Incredible Hulk?” The problem? There was no disclosure that MSNBC and Universal, the maker of the Green Machine, are both properties of NBC Universal Inc. Note: Even the news vehicle slogan is "green is universal." Another coincidence or just shrewd marketing? You choose.

So that fun quiz you took on the MSNBC News site, depending on how you look at it, is either an advertisement in disguise or a promotion of the movie masked as editorial content. Such options leave little room for optimism.

Fake product placement? What other chicanery can be found at the GE-owned network?

Continue reading: The “Green Machine”: MSNBC News “pimps” their ride

by London Shearer Allen
image/source: The “Green Machine”: MSNBC News “pimps” their ride

Mainstream Media: When News Breaks

They want to help.

It's the Mainstream Media way.


by RidesAPaleHorse
image: RAPH

NBC Generates 'Schlock and Awww'

30 Rockefeller Plaza--headquarters of NBC-- was the scene of shlock and "Awww!" earlier this month.

NBC's schlock--the network initially refused to air a "Salute to the Troops"--and a collective "Awwww" by NBC when it was realized a sizable portion of their audience and others were shocked and upset at their decision.

NBC's initial refusal to air Freedom Watch's 'Salute to the Troops' only highlighted the perception problems surrounding the network known in some quarters as "Nothing But Crap".

NBC quietly announced this week that it was refunding an average of $500,000 per advertiser for failing to hit minimum ratings in their contracts. The unprecedented move, along with MSNBC's perennial basement-dwelling status in both the ratings and the evening TV watching habits of Americans, has generated some other calls--for NBC parent, General Electric, to either fix the low performing network or dump it.

NBC earlier had announced that it had reconsidered airing the MAF tribute.

The cartoon above, Red Planet Cartoons' "NBC Strikes Again", graphically illustrates some reasons why NBC has alienated large segments of the once-robust network's viewers.

Red Planet has gathered some interesting information on the NBC lawyer who refused the FW spot.

The NBC lawyer who refused to allow a non-profit group to air an advertisement thanking American troops for their service has donated at least $45,000 to a host of Congressional Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, New York Senator Hillary Clinton and the campaign committees of House and Senate Democrats, research by the Majority Accountability Project has found.

Red Planet also has an amusing quote from NBC's Brian Williams, as well as featuring "The Worst Liberal Bumper Stickers".

Get the whole package at RP's "NBC Strikes Again".

"Nothing But Crap" is what viewers, advertisers and, perhaps soon, stockholders believe.

by Mondoreb
[image:redplanetcartoons]




Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

NBC: Nothing But Crap

The network of Keith Olbermann, Chris Mathews and Rosie O'Donnell has finally found something really objectionable--a salute to U.S. troops.

WASHINGTON (AP) - NBC has rejected a TV ad by Freedom's Watch, a conservative group that supports administration policy in Iraq, that asks viewers to remember and thank U.S. troops during the holiday season.

NBC said it declined to air the ad because it refers to the group's Web site, which the network said was too political, not because of the ad's message.

"Anybody in the world who would look at this ad would come away with nothing other than we should be thankful for their service," Freedom's Watch president Brad Blakeman said.

The spot was to be part of a seven-figure campaign that includes newspaper ads and television commercials. The ads are to run on CNN and Fox News Channel and are running in various newspapers. The New York Times ran a full-page Freedom's Watch ad Friday that said "Thank You!" and depicted a soldier reading a letter. The newspaper ad also contained the Web site address.

Alan Wurtzel, NBC's head of standards and practices, said the network decided not to run the Freedom's Watch ad because the group insisted that the spot contain the URL address of its Web site.

The group's home page links to another Freedom's Watch Web page that lists nonprofit organizations that are sending care packages to soldiers and that suggests other ways of expressing support.

It also contains a welcoming message that states: "For too long, conservatives have lacked a permanent political presence to do battle with the radical special interests groups and their left-wing allies in government."

"We have a policy that prohibits acceptance of advertising that deals with issues of public controversy," Wurtzel said. "This particular ad, in and of itself, is fine. It thanks the troops for their action overseas. We asked them to eliminate a URL address where a person is asked to contact elected officials and told not to cut and run on the war on terror."

NBC rejected a previous Freedom's Watch ad that addressed funding for the troops.

"It's a long-term policy, it goes back decades," Wurtzel said of NBC's stance of declining controversial issue advertising.

He suggested that Freedom's Watch did not alter the ad in order to force NBC to reject it and thus get media attention.

--Source: AP - NBC Rejects "Salute to the Troops" Ad from Conservative Group
NBC can dance and spin all they like: people will watch the video, read the story and come to their own conclusions on this.

And they will most likely decide that they won't end their apathy concerning either NBC or MSNBC's network televised offerings.

Maybe when NBC viewership sinks below that of the Fatty Foods Network or Breathing for Credit Channel, someone will have the sense to let a businessman run the network.

Instead of the rabidly Left ideologues in charge now.

by Mondoreb
[graphic, notes: RidesAPaleHorse]

Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

NBC's NFL Green Moment: NFL's Response is No Response

"Can you help me? I'm trying to find somewhere else to live.
Besides NBC, I mean."

The news of NBC's attempt to get an "NFL Greenest Hightlights" bandwagon rolling by Hot Air, sends off alarm bells in conservative NFL fans. The addition of Keith 'Barking When Not Raving' Olbermann to the sports team was something remedied by turning off the sound. Now that NBC Sports has come out of the Green Closet and turned off the lights, what's left?

From Hot Air:

Geez. Football used to be one of the few places on earth you could escape moonbattery and politics in general. But not anymore, at least not on NBC. Noooo. First they had to put Keith Olbermann in their coverage. And now they pull a lame green stunt on their pre-game show by turning off some lights.

Exactly. It's not enough that NFL fans pay through the nose for everything connected with pro football. Now their ears are forced to bleed, a natural reaction at having Left Wing political views forced on them during telecasts.

Contacting the NFL's corporate offices took a bit of digging, to secure the phone number. After some confusion by the switchboard as to who should be consulted, Human Resources was rung. Matthew Kinney was not at his desk, but another Human Resources number was provided. That too proved to be a dead end.

After switching gears, the NFL Media office was contacted, but a voice message informed the caller that Meredith wasn't available either. Meredith wasn't available on several other tries. Maybe out marching in a "Save the Polar Bears" parade?

Oh well. More attempts will be made later.

In any event, no NFL response was able to be secured on what the football big-wigs thought about NBC's game show tactics. It's just as well, the NFL's calculus, as well as ultimately, NBC's, is weighted toward profit. If enough people are annoyed by having environmental messages unsubliminally supplied along with their football, they may turn off or switch channels on their TV.

Turning off the TV may turn the lights on.

by Mondoreb
Hot Air Trackback



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