CANADA — Gay online entertainment and variety program Hardtv is reporting to be a hit with both fans and adult advertisers. Brett Drysdale, the show's creator and executive producer, cites the channel's unique marketing opportunities as a major factor.
"These are not your ‘must-see TV’ kind of commercials”, Drysdale said. “All of the commercials on the show are hot and entertaining in their own right, with sexy, exciting products being showcased or hot naked men having sex promoting websites and new movies.
“The consumer is less distracted watching your advertisement as part of on-demand entertaining content, like Hardtv, versus seeing your brand in other traditional types of advertising and the engagement between your message and your potential customer is more effective. This is especially true when the marketing messages can add or compliment the viewing experience of the show."
A perfect example of a unique product sponsor is CB-X and their line of male chastity devices from A.L. Enterprises.
“The Hardtv team introduced themselves to me at January’s AMNE show in Burbank and showed me a demonstration video of their pilot episode. I was very excited about the idea of having an actual video commercial," CB-X Corporate Director Nikki Yates said. "I felt the unique qualities and different features of our product line could be better visually highlighted by video and in a manner that would generate excitement and interest in our brand.”
Drysdale also gives an example of Lucas Entertainment who has been a sponsor for every Hardtv episode. The award-winning studio has promoted their biggest releases of 2012 with trailers on the show as commercials.
“Along with their ads, Lucas has supplied us with amazing exclusive footage and images from their shoots which we have featured in several segments of the shows including three for the upcoming Episode," Drysdale said. "This is mega-branding and marketing at an extremely reasonable rate. Our sponsors are quick to see that when we creatively integrate their products into the content of the segments of the show, along with their ads, that they get real value.”
Drysdale points to gay sex toy manufacturer Fleshjack who has been a sponsor from the beginning and has had several of their products used, demonstrated, and talked about in different and fun ways in several segments of the shows.
“Some sponsors we’ve approached to create their own exclusive content for segments on the show," Drysdale explained. "UKNakedMen has produced an amazingly hot video for us for this upcoming episode promoting London 2012 and all the exciting hot porn that happens in the UK.”
The bi-monthly Hardtv program recently expanded its potential viewership reach by adding www.hardtvonline.com as a new media distribution platform. Previously the show was available on Squirt.org, NakedSword.com and the Hardtv cable channel. “Now we can really go to town with our social media marketing strategy as there is now a place to watch the show without having to be a member as is the case with Squirt and NakedSword,” Drysdale noted.
Ongoing and potential new sponsors can check out what is planned for upcoming episodes and also watch highlights from previous episodes at www.hardtvupfront.com. Interested program sponsors and content producers can contact the show at brett.drysdale@xtra.ca.
Hardtv will broadcast its Episode 3 during the last week of July.