The Future of Advertising

A curious reader thumbing through the October 2008 issue of Wired Magazine may have noticed a heavy object halting the fan-like movement of the pages, forcing the seam open at the center. Each October issue of Wired included an insert with an exclusive Blu-Ray directors cut disc of COMA. A seven-part mini series that was created exclusively for mobile phones and the new line of VAIO notebooks by WIMO, Sony Electronics, and Microsoft.

On August 20, 2008 the COMA series premiered on Crackle.com, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment Company and was later released to YouTube, Hulu, Verizon Wireless, and AT&T phone services.

In order to clarify the magazine insert to readers, WIMO and Sony explained what the Blu-Ray disc contained as well as the purpose behind its creation. "COMA was created on the belief that new technology demands original great entertainment," the advertisement said. Once the reader turned the insert over, a large picture of Sony's new VAIO FW notebook "featuring an advanced Blu-Ray disc drive" was featured with the star of COMA, Michael Madsen, on the VAIO screen.

The 3- to 5- minute "mobisodes" are the first of their kind, filmed with Sony High-Definition cameras and starring acclaimed actors, it is the most advanced content created specifically for mobile phones and the web to date. Available only online and through magazine inserts, the distribution of the series alone is unique.

But what does this mean for the magazine industry? In the midst of a waning economy and the increased drop in magazine ad revenue, the creative marketing ideas that have arisen out of this project have shown that the promotional opportunities are endless. Editors are concerned with increasing their ad revenue online but what if mobile programming continues to use magazine distribution in order to broaden their audience? This may be the symbiotic solution to the magazine industries increased financial woes. One thing is clear: the cross-promotion and distribution of COMA represents a change in traditional magazine advertising and the line between web content and editorial- for better or for worse- seems to be blending day by day.