Microsoft Pulls The Plug On ‘Family Guy’ Variety Special Advertising
Posted on 27. Oct, 2009 by CSS in Cha-Ching$$, Commercials, Tough Break...
FOX still plans to air Family Guy Presents: Seth and Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show on Nov. 8, but it will be doing so without the support of Microsoft. The network has lost the software giant as the exclusive sponsor of its upcoming Family Guy variety special after the company’s executives watched the show’s taping, Variety says.
Earlier this month, Microsoft announced they were teaming for a collaboration with the side-splitting, envelope-pushing comedy, in a special set to air during FOX’s primetime Sunday animated block. Instead of traditional commercials, the special would have featured interwoven promotion of Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 7.
A 30-second ad during Family Guy costs about $214,750, so the entire half-hour special likely costs Microsoft millions…..but that was before execs actually saw what they were signing up for. The special reportedly contains jokes about deaf people, the Holocaust, feminine hygiene, and incest. Um, how is that any different than a regular episode of Family Guy?
Then executives watched the animated show in a live taping before a studio audience, and subsequently presented this statement announcing its back-out:
“We initially chose to participate in the ‘Seth and Alex’ variety show based on the audience composition and creative humor of ‘Family Guy,’ but after reviewing an early version of the variety show it became clear that the content was not a fit with the Windows brand. We continue to have a good partnership with Fox, (series creator and writer) Seth MacFarlane and (co-star and writer) Alex Borstein and are working with them in other areas. We continue to believe in the value of brand integrations and partnerships between brands, media companies and talent.”
