MarketingProfs

MarketingVOX: Lonelygirl15, the pseudo video diary that became a YouTube phenomenon last year, has signed a major product placement deal with Hershey for its Icebreakers Sours Gum brand, according to MediaWeek.
In a video posted on March 20 on the official Lonelygirl site, Lg15.com, the show’s main character – Bree – is seen offering her friends a piece of Icebreakers gum, and a close-up of the product is shown. The sponsored episode of the scripted teen drama is slated to eventually be featured on YouTube and other video-sharing sites in the near future.
This level of product integration marks one of the more sophisticated examples of branded entertainment to emerge from the rapidly evolving world of amateur-created online video. The Dallas, Texas-based agency TracyLocke initiated the deal. Ad sales were handled directly by the agents from Creative Artists Agency who represent the Lonelygirl creators.
“Deals like this are good for the community – they help us pay our operating expenses, which has been an ongoing struggle,” said Greg Goodfried, Lonelygirl15 co-creator.