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By Gordon Chu | June 02, 2009

The Good, The Bad, and The “Ugly Betty”

I admit it. I have grown to like ABC’s “Ugly Betty”. In fact, it now has its own time slot on my DVR priority list. Seeing those trademark braces and bad bangs just brings a smile to my face. I’m not the only person who tunes in every week – “Ugly Betty” has an extraordinary fan-base and is a huge hit in the United States. It consistently ranks in the Top 10 Nielsen ratings in a very competitive Thursday primetime line-up. The show’s format and concept was adopted from the Columbian phenomenon – “Betty La Fea” (“Betty the Ugly One”) and can pretty much be found in one form of incarnation on all four corners of the world. Some good, some bad, but all distinctly “Betty”.

China is no exception – its version is suitably titled “Ugly Wudi”. And yes, it’s still the classic fish-out-of-water story about a girl trying to make her way in life and her budding career. And yes, there are the sub-plots of family issues, Dove soap, work scandals, Dove soap, inner-work romance, and Dove soap. Did I mention Dove soap? There’s no mystery Unilever is the main brand sponsor for “Ugly Wudi” – in fact, they’ve taken product placement and brand integration to a whole new level of its own. The Dove product is inter-woven into the story itself (they work in an ad agency) and the in-your-face product placement in the foreground, the background, and even stitched in the clothes is a strong reminder that “Ugly Wudi” is just one mega-marketing vehicle.

Still, despite the aggressive product placement in “Ugly Wudi”, the show is an incredible success and is now going into its third season. In the US, brand integration in TV programs is not a novel idea; however, this in-your-face tactic would most likely be classified under the “tacky” bucket. So I ask, why is this strategy successful in China? When is “enough” just “too much”?

TV programs in the US have dabbled in product placements since the birth of television. In the 1950’s, the term “soap operas” originated from Proctor & Gamble’s household products prominently displayed in the foreground of the set. And throughout the years, both movies and TV have always managed to weave this very important advertising vehicle in nearly all of the content.

Today, especially in an age of DVR’s and TiVo’s, there are not a lot of alternatives than to have brand products tied in the show. And today in the US, product placement just isn’t enough and brand integration is that next level of involvement with the consumers themselves. Some shows have done this very well – when the lines are blurred between brand sponsorship and show content. For example, NBC’s “The Apprentice” used brands as part of the challenges for the competition. It may be a little contrived, but it still had purpose and it had legitimacy on the show itself. Some shows are still trying to figure the right balance out (aka not doing such a good job) – a tougher enigma than you would expect considering a hypercritical American audience (for examples of bad, go see Dr. Pepper’s sponsorship in the CW’s “90210” or how Subway made its way in NBC’s “Chuck”). In any case, there is a fine balance for viewers with what makes sense and what’s “too much”.

In China, “Ugly Wudi” pulls no punches back and barrages the viewers with an onslaught of Dove products. Granted, the plot revolves around an ad agency working on Dove’s marketing campaign, the show’s producer spared no cost in making sure Dove is very prominent on the screen. From the opening scene to the closing credits, Dove manages to squeeze its way in one form or the other in every available spot. Now, what is “Ugly Wudi” doing so differently than all these other US companies to make it as wildly successful (and accepted) with viewers? Some will say the key to success is good creative writing. Others will say success is in the power of the brand. I call bluff – and credit it to plain ol’ good timing.

For starters, China is not the US and has not had a long illustrious history of product placement / brand integration. In fact, for a very long time now, TV program formats have been somewhat cookie-cutter and have not changed or evolved. For brands, if you want to be part of a show? Take a number in line and pay for your 15-second ad spot. That was many times the only option. Yes, brands can get “creative” and there may be a sponsor on the lower-right hand corner of the television screen, but beyond a quick blurb at the end of your show – there is not much more excitement beyond that.

With “Ugly Wudi”, this idea of creating a story line around a product is practically brand new in China. This was uncharted territory and there was no measure of success or failure. When I say all of this, by no means, is it a knock on “Ugly Wudi” or its production value in any one bit. In fact, I think the Chinese version is wildly entertaining and can absolutely see how millions of other viewers in China (73 million on its first night on television) feel the same way. The bottom-line is I think Unilever’s bold move with “Ugly Wudi” is brilliant and kudos to impeccable timing. Mindshare (the agency behind “Ugly Wudi” and Unilever) did an excellent job at boldly creating a show and introducing a new business model for brands. The consumers recognize it. The viewers accept it. And, most importantly, the checks keep on coming in.

However, like all great ideas, there will be followers and I am 100% positive “Ugly Wudi” and its brand marketing content is no exception. There WILL be a flood of in-your-face brand integration and product placement on China television programs. Some will be more subtle – others will be outlandish and downright silly. And there WILL be ramifications with the viewers themselves. They accept “Ugly Wudi” for what it is (a big commercial)… for now. A very big asterix when I say for now.

Will any format with such prominent brand advertising within the show continue to thrive? Absolutely not. One thing about Chinese viewers today – they are savvy, opinionated, and, more importantly, they have a voice. Armed with blogs, forums, and chat rooms, Chinese viewers today will not settle for just status quo. Complacency is simply not an option and, from nearly every trend you can see between Chinese viewers and TV programs, they are quick to voice their distaste with anything that presents a roadblock between what they want – including an eventual overbearing surplus of brand integration gone wild.

Is there a happy medium where both viewers and brands / shows win? Sure. Do I think it will be as extreme as the current mode of brand integration in “Ugly Wudi”? Probably not, but I do think they will be successful for a very long time. One thing I do know, as brand marketers, we all need to hear the viewers’ voice and continue to intelligently utilize product placement / brand integration. It is no longer something we simply piggyback on our programs, but the brands have to be the centerpiece first. Develop the program around the brands and all of a sudden, the blur between program and blatant advertising seems a little more seamless.

Television is NOT an easy industry and television in China makes it all that much more challenging. However, with new business models never tried before, China is also the new wild wild west along with all the opportunities and fortune. With a little luck, a little logic and common sense, who knows – maybe the future holds a little bit of “Ugly Wudi” in all of us.

Gordon Chu is the VP of Business Development at METAN Development Group. For comments/questions, email gchu@metanmedia.com.