FX ad fights fast-forward
With the rise of the PVR, companies are having to come up with more and more devious ways to get viewers to watch their adverts. Some are petitioning the hardware manufacturers to make PVRs incapable of fast-forwarding through them, while others are being more reasonable about it.
FX TV, a UK satellite men's channel, is planning on showing what possibly will be the most boring advert ever shown: thirty seconds of a totally still image publicising their new TV show Brotherhood. It might sound ridiculous, but it will retain its "sales message" even when viewed at high-speed.
Anything which reduces the chance of PVRs being crippled by the cable companies has to be a good thing, and it's good to see an innovative solution rather than one which treats the consumer as if property.