I won't hotlink it, because websites hate that, but here's the link, extra-conspicuous like:
The ad in question is Miracle Whip's response to this lovely gem of a Colbert moment.
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| The Mayo-lution Will Not Be Televised | ||||
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Let the genius unfold.
Honestly, I can't think of a marketing department I've ever been more proud of in response to Colbert's no-one-is-safe style. The feud itself is almost 100% innocuous, promising only to get an ad department some serious notice in the corporate world -- probably one that will continue to make waves in the shows they sponsor as a particular gimmick. If this works, the same may continue, with Kraft being the leader in response, going where Doritos and Sierra Mist have long been reluctant to tread.
But it signifies something even bigger in the world of Mr. Stephen T. Colbert: In the same short period, he was allowed to broadcast from Iraq (a very Bob Hope-esque growth), officially made his fanbase the sponsor for an Olympic team, and truly tore down the wall between product placement and traditional advertising. The third is something we haven't seen since going out of style in the 50's -- a style from which we get the phrase "Soap Opera," referring to the characters in the show -- during the show -- often hocking the soap-selling sponsors.
But what's more, Colbert's been insistent enough to develop a different relationship than this old Advertiser/slave formula. Instead of being controlled, he plays them like puppets -- often his character becomes obsessed with a product or concept intermittently before any developments actually occur, such as a space treadmill or an Hungarian bridge. By beating the marketers to their punch, he becomes a real mothflame: the exposure isn't just pre-built, it's pre-shopped, as Colbert's audience only tolerates the more absurd and eccentric. If Colbert mentions it, that's probably the lost audience they've been failing to reach for years -- and he noticed it before they did.
It's mostly amazing that this Yes, And... style is surviving this long, but only when you don't know the draw of an improv audience. Even the bad stuff is gold, and the Report takes this philosophy seriously every night. Willing to go to any corner for a laugh or an insight, the entire production tends to open more doors than most networks can manage in a decade. Colbert certainly has a loud knock. Weekly sketch comedy is fun and complex pop. Stand-up is as well orchestrated as any symphony, hence being enjoyed ad nauseam. But the improv style is never stale; as fluid as jazz and louder than death metal, it grabs attention. Hopefully more of the audience will begin to play back.
