Fine Living Network will create short-form vignettes teeing up commercials for home-design retailer DirectBuy as part of a long-term advertising buy tied into new FLN program Work That Room With Christopher Lowell.
The arrangement doesn’t include DirectBuy product integration within Work That Room—Scripps Networks outlets, including FLN and bigger networks HGTV and Food Network, as a policy don’t allow product integration within their shows. Instead, the short-form custom content will air during commercial breaks as “podbusters” and 60-second topical segments relevant to Direct Buy, which has a chain of member-only showrooms that offer home-improvement products at wholesale prices.
Work That Room, hosted by designer Lowell (pictured), premieres on FLN on July 26 at 6 p.m. ET. FLN didn’t disclose dollar amounts associated with the DirectBuy arrangement, said to be the retailer’s first-ever multiplatform advertising buy.
“Direct Buy did not receive any product integration in the series,” Jonathan LaConti, vice president of ad sales for FLN, told Multichannel News through a network representative. “The product integration solution for Direct Buy was within the Shortform treatments we produced for them. The series provided the perfect environment for DirectBuy to air the Scripps' produced Custom Shortform content during the commercial breaks, with its adjacent commercials following the content.”
“We developed Short Stories (sequential “podbuster” spots provide viewers with a storyline focused on real people with real design challenges that unfolds in three parts—each of the three commercial pods) and 60-second custom vignettes (Fine Ideas) with topics which are germane to the DirectBuy retail offering and sets up their 30-second commercials to connect with FLN viewers in a meaningful way,” he said.
The campaign includes in-store placement for Work That Room in Direct Buy showrooms. It also includes broadband content on FineLiving.com, such as exclusive footage from Work That Room and an interactive design quiz.
The short segment titles are: "Seeing Red (Bedroom Design)" and "Coming Together in the Kitchen." The custom vignette (Fine Ideas) titles are: "Shopping for Kitchen Cabinetry" "Blending Design Styles" and "Kitchen Remodeling Tips."
Bart Fesperman, the DirectBuy vice president of marketing who came up with the multiplatform concept employed here, said in a release: “FLN gives viewers the inspiration, Christopher lends them the design guidance, and DirectBuy enables them to purchase the products they need to complete that vision.”
