Honeyshed goes live tomorrow

Honeyshed, a site devoted solely to the broadcast of branded entertainment, is set to go live tomorrow (Oct. 24th) and I am intrigued.

The premise is that if you love brands that have a certain cachet as well as alternative entertainment, you might not mind entertainment that sells these brands to you if they’re doing so in a completely transparent fashion. Of course, that’s probably simplifying the premise too much, but I think you get the picture.

I find it most interesting because even though this notion of branded entertainment is being heralded as a huge leap in the evolution of both marketing and entertainment, it’s actually a pretty large throwback.

Ever heard of Texaco Star Theater? If you haven’t, it’s a little program that starred Milton Berle and between radio and TV was on the air from 1940-1956. In fact, during the heyday of radio, nearly every show was prominently sponsored, and some form of branding found its way into the entertainment itself.

Remember the scene in A Christmas Story where Ralphie decodes the “secret message” in Little Orphan Annie using his Ovaltine decoder ring?

Yep, we’ve been here before people. Only this time it’s wrapped in a sleeker, sexier package. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

You can bet that come tomorrow I’ll be visiting the Honeyshed to see what it’s about.