Content Providers Are All Over Your Turf

AdWeek is going to do a piece on an upcoming digital campaign for Redken, but very sweetly, a tipster has leaked us the news. Here’s the deal: cultural website Flavorpill has created a series of webisodes called “Out of Town” to promote Redken’s Urban Experiment line. The series takes hip urbanites to various cultural events in Small Town, USA with the goal of seeking out interesting culture and people far off the beaten path. We liked the trailer a lot with its youthful feel, editing and great casting. The campaign also includes a contest where viewers can win the chance to be one half of an urban pair to be released into the wilds of America. With Flavorpill’s built in network of 500,000+ subscribers, plus an online ad buy and the episodes being seeded on video sites across the web, this campaign could be a hit – that is if the videos prove to be entertaining.

Someone correct us if we’re wrong, but doesn’t McCann Erickson run the Redken account? Update: A tipster says it’s Gotham (see below). Redken has primarily focused on traditional advertising methods. However, in recent years, it is has increasingly shifted its focus to web-based and other unconventional efforts. So… this is a prime example of the new trend where content providers are creating full scale campaigns for their advertisers because hell – not only do they understand the target demo better than the agencies, but they get the new media format. This echoes the recent Forrester report, which said that marketing executives feel that agencies suffer from a lack of skills in emerging channels. The ad industry needs to start thinking further outside their pens and playing some catch-up in the new media sector if they want to compete with such in-touch editorial networks.