Field Notes Inside an Integrated Communications Agency

Recently, while doing some late night channel surfing, I stumbled across a program that made me put down my remote control and settle a little deeper into my chair – a show with the sole purpose of entertaining me with the very best commercials on the planet. The real plus – the show never cuts away to a block of inane 30-second insults on my intelligence. Wow! A program of commercials that doesn’t cut away to commercials. On top of all that, this is a multi-platform concept that also lives on the web and mobile devices.

The program is called Firebrand.

I will now pause while the Millennials and Gen-Xers reading this laugh at how hopelessly far behind the cultural curve I am. For the rest of you who care to know more, I will continue.

Firebrand launched in October 2007. It is an opt-in entertainment and marketing destination where consumers can watch the "coolest" TV commercials and then head to the Firebrand Web site to continue the love affair with their favorite brands. The format is reminiscent of a young and pure MTV, only in this case, the VJ’s are spinning spots.

Online the Firebrand site has personalization tools that allow you to create your own playlists and share your favorite spots. Advertisers also have a real-time tool called the Firebrand Dashboard, which allows them to simultaneously monitor TV viewing and online clicks for specific spots.

Who’s behind this black hole of consumerism? You can thank investors like Microsoft, NBC Universal, Adweek, Brandweek and Mediaweek to name a few.

Problem is, after watching an hour of great commercials, my eyes had started to glaze over and I felt a bit empty and unfulfilled. Why is that? For an old ad guy, Firebrand should seem like the promise land – a candy store of creative storytelling.

I realized that Firebrand is making it too easy. Is it possible to watch too much of a good thing? They were spoon-feeding me the stuff I used to wait for patiently. Maybe, just maybe, to be completely entertained by a spot, you can’t see it coming. Perhaps we have to sit through countless commercials featuring screaming car salesmen and sultry, steamy burgers to truly appreciate the very rare but stellar ones. We need this gauge, this constant comparison with the forgettable to keep our conceptual bearings straight. If we ate filet mignon every day wouldn’t it quickly become tasteless and routine?

So, go check out Firebrand and plan on being entertained. When you feel like you can’t stand it any longer, switch over to any other channel where you are sure to witness plenty of 30-second stinkers. Just keepy our finger on the “last channel” button.