Television Advertising

The airwaves are getting more grown-up, and it's not just the shows. The Absolut Vodka commercials that aired in Los Angeles and 14 other cities during Sunday night's Grammy Awards marked the first time in years that liquor ads ran in prime time on network-owned stations. Also crowding the airwaves during heavy viewing hours are infomercials once reserved for the middle of the night and ads touting extramarital affairs and the intimate uses of K-Y Jelly.

What, you don't believe they can do it? You doubt that Jacksonville running back Maurice Jones-Drew can be buried up to his neck on a beach, then use his superhuman burst to explode out of a hole five feet deep? You wonder whether Denver quarterback Chris Simms can effortlessly throw passes into trash cans 45 yards away, then pull off the same trick as a can is zipping past on a golf cart? You scoff at the comic-book quickness of New York Giants tight end Kevin Boss, who bends backward Matrix-style to one-hand a pass screaming at his head from point-blank range?

In some parts of the country, home prices are back near 2001 levels, and now so is the volume of advertising the TV networks have sold. Buckling under the pressure of a weak advertising market, the broadcast networks have cut prices for commercial time, a rare setback for companies used to commanding ever-higher prices.

Having largely sorted out the economy and foreign wars, Rep. James P. Moran (D-Va.) moved on to other pressing matters of state last month when he introduced the Families for ED Advertising Decency Act (H.R. 2175), a bill that calls for the Federal Communications Commission to "treat as indecent" ads for erectile dysfunction cures between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Viva Viagra, indeed.

Stung by the recession, some of the United States' biggest companies are slashing their advertising budgets. But television viewers won't know it from watching the commercials during this year's Super Bowl. Fans tuning in for the championship game Sunday will see 2 1/2 straight minutes of commercials they can watch in 3-D with special glasses.

The bugle call marking the start of the TV advertising sales season began a little early this year. On Sunday, CBS Corp. unleashed a marketing blitz to tell advertisers, viewers and Wall Street that CBS stands out because it draws more viewers than any other network. This morning, rival NBC plans to unveil its fall prime-time schedule -- two weeks before the traditional kickoff of the television "upfront" season and two weeks before the other networks announce their fall lineups.

Elimination beckoned, and we all figured we knew what that meant. The run was over, here comes summer vacation, it's time to go fishing. Except the Nike puppets didn't go away. Even without LeBron James in the NBA Finals, Nike continues to run ads with the LeBron and Kobe Bryant puppets, playing on the theme that Kobe made the Finals and LeBron has to stay home baby-sitting the little kid next door, Lil Dez.

Commercial filming on the streets of Los Angles may be moving out of the doldrums, a possible early sign that there is a thaw in the nationwide economy as advertisers show more willingness to spend money. On-location shoots for commercials increased for the third consecutive week, according to FilmL.A. Inc., which handles film permits for the Los Angeles area. Commercial filming generated 102 production days last week (defined as a single crew's permission to film at a project at a single location during a 24-hour period)

The cameras zoomed in on William Shatner as he raced a baby carriage through a crowded outdoor restaurant in Koreatown. Dressed in a black suit, his hair neatly grayed, Shatner focused on the task at hand: looking genuinely interested in saving people money on airfare. Famous for playing Denny Crane in "Boston Legal" and for having been Captain Kirk in "Star Trek" on TV and in the movies, he was reprising his longest-running role: spokesman for Priceline.com Inc.

The late shows may be back on the air, but except for reality programs prime-time TV is mostly in reruns for the foreseeable future. So what's an advertiser to do? One answer: Think sports. Sporting events have been seeing increased interest from companies looking to promote themselves during shows that will be watched live, rather than recorded and viewed later, sans commercials.