MTV Networks' Comedy Central and Spike have cut a multilayered deal with videogame company Ubisoft for an all-out advertising assault during new episodes of South Park and The Ultimate Fighter this week, showcasing the marketer's much-anticipated title Assassin's Creed and blanketing those series' coveted male 18-34-year-old fans.
The deal also includes product integration in The Ultimate Fighter, a reality series revolving around would-be Ultimate Fighting Championship brawlers. UFC star Matt Serra will introduce the Assassin's Creed ad this week.
The deal is part of a $10 million marketing blitz for Assassin's Creed, which features spots on MTV's controversial new hit A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila, partnerships with Comcast and Yahoo, short-film contests, parties with Hollywood young guns, and retail promotions.
San Francisco-based Ubisoft, home of the multimillion-selling games Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon, on Nov. 7 will use popular Comedy Central and Spike series to air two-minute sneaks of Assassin's Creed. The game is the exclusive sponsor of South Park, which will sport three two-minute spots. A two-minute ad also airs during The Ultimate Fighter.
"We believe in TV as an important ad medium, but we try to be creative with it," said Tony Key, Ubisoft's vp, marketing. "The longer ads let people see the game in motion."
Ubisoft saw 30-second spots as insufficient for promoting the game's hyper-realistic graphics and interactivity. (Kastner & Partners in Los Angeles handled media buying.)
Increasingly, marketers like Ubisoft want to own the ad real estate in popular TV shows, especially those like South Park and TUF that are "a slam dunk in terms of hitting our core target," Key said.
MTV Networks created the deal to pump its value with advertisers, mirroring a trend across cable and broadcast in which nets experiment with new ideas to lure advertisers and keep them happy. Some recent twists include offering single-sponsor pods, long-form spots, brand integration and vignettes.
"Marketers are always looking for something unique, and we're always thinking about how to create a platform that appeals to them," said Jeff Lucas, executive vp, ad sales at MTV Networks Entertainment Group. Financials weren't disclosed, but a 30-second spot during Spike and Comedy Central's prime-time lineup usually costs in the low six figures.
Aside from appealing to clients, networks benefit from original content that keeps audiences hanging around during show breaks. Spike has tracked a commercial ratings bump of 5 percent to 8 percent during Ultimate Fighter shows featuring movie trailers and DVD exclusives as opposed to traditional spots.
BY T.L. STANLEY >> tlstanley8@yahoo.com >> mediaweek.com/digital