7 Advertisers Have Seen Enough of NBC's 'The Playboy Club'

Is it moral indignation that has caused seven advertisers to drop out of NBC's new series The Playboy Club? Or could it be pressure from Tim Winter and the often-apoplectic Parents Television Council, which has berated the drama for "mainstreaming the pornography industry"? Probably neither. Kraft, Sprint, Lenovo, UPS Store, Subway, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, and Campbell's Soup sat out the second episode on Monday night, [1] according to The Hollywood Reporter. Now, the PTC is asking Capital One, Samsung, and Chrysler to do the same. The marketers would be wise to take that advice, but not for puritanical reasons. The Chicago-set show, which had a significant promotional push behind its launch, began with only 5 million viewers and dropped almost 20 percent in its second airing this week, THR noted. It's one of the early stinkers of the new season and could get the kiss-off quickly if its numbers don't improve. In short, it's not necessarily a corrupt place to be for an advertiser—just an embarrassing one. When it goes thud on the heap of failed new TV shows, it won't be a victory for the PTC but for viewers looking for something "decent" to watch. UPDATE: Some of the advertising now say they didn't abandon the show. [2]