Palm to Sponsor Nick at Nite's Glenn Martin, DDS

As Nick at Nite gets set to roll out its new animated comedy Glenn Martin, DDS, the network has landed a first-time sponsor in smartphone manufacturer Palm, in a deal that includes tagged tune-ins and custom integrations. Premiering Aug. 17 at 8 p.m., the stop-motion strip will kick off Nick at Nite’s Monday programming day.

The Palm buy opens up the smartphone category for Nick at Nite, which of late has been gunning for a greater share of non-endemic dollars. Of the new business the net has landed (including autos, travel and casual dining), tech gadgets have been particularly hot, said Marinn Jackson, vp of Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group Ad Sales.

“We see technology as a generation-gap killer, in the way that every 14-year-old knows AC/DC songs because of their placement on Rock Band,” Jackson said. “It works the same way with smartphones. The devices we use serve as bridges between family members.”
At the heart of the buy is a 15-second custom spot, featuring the 11-year-old power broker Courtney Martin; her devoted personal assistant, Wendy; and the Palm Pre. Developed by Nickelodeon Creative Advertising and agency Modernista, the spot shares some thematic DNA with the first episode, which revolves around neo-Luddite Glenn Martin’s attempts to unplug his gizmo-fixated brood. The Palm spots begin airing Aug. 10 and will run on NAN through Aug. 22.

The humor of the tune-in is designed to appeal to tweens and their parents. “There’s not a ton of TV that you can watch together, and the promos promise an upgrade of the old family-sitcom formula,” said Jackson.

Along with NAN’s demos, the integration was a major selling point, said Dustin Johnson, Modernista’s director of engagement. “We’re looking to stand out from what the competition is doing, which is why we went with the integration,” he said. “Outside of sports, the days of a handset provider seeing any exclusivity are almost over. Sometimes you’ll see three or four different carriers in a single show, and that’s crazy.

“We picked the show as an entrepreneurial opportunity,” Johnson added. “If it’s a big hit, we’ll benefit hugely.”

Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite drew $1.04 billion in net ad revenue in ’08, per SNL Kagan estimates, 1 percent over its year-ago haul.