Rich Fiscus
22 Oct 2007 10:59
Sony Pictures TV is trying to cash in on the minisodes they debuted both on MySpace and a dedicated minisodes site called the Minisodes Network, in June. A minisode is a television episode that's been condensed to just a few minutes. Today distribution expands to AOL, Joost, and Sony's answer to YouTube - Crackle. Verizon will also make minisodes available on their wireless network.
Like on MySpace, viewing on Joost and AOL will be sponsored by ads from Honda. On Crackle the sponsor will be Pepsi, who plan to include the site in a massive advertising campaign for new retro cans. The cans will also promote the website by giving the web address. Pepsi's interest in the partnership was sparked by the classic TV shows used to create minisodes, which are now expanding to include Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, and The Jeffersons.
Advertisers like Pepsi are finding innovative uses for online video, which allows them to target campaigns not only toward specific content, but also toward a specific delivery method. This may be advantageous for consumers as advertisers attempt to cater to the way viewers prefer to watch TV, rather than putting the restraints of DRM ahead of nearly all other concerns.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter