Famous for being famous, Paris Hilton is a socialite who built her reputation by associating with the rich and powerful. Endeavoring to turn its popular web presence into a commercial juggernaut, YouTube unveiled a fresh advertising initiative. The new offering is launching with Paris Hilton and Warner Bros. Records, and features “Participatory Video Ads” and “Branded Channels.” Beginning Tuesday, YouTube will roll out its first Brand Channel, where Warner Bros. Records will promote Paris Hilton’s debut album, “Paris.” Brand Channels are much like the channels created for all YouTube users who upload their homemade videos to the site, though the purpose of a Brand Channel is to sell a product rather than to simply promote one’s ability to attract an audience for their work.
Channels showcase content, serve as a forum for user competitions and allow viewers to subscribe to a brand’s video feed. One of Hilton’s advertisements features brief introductory remarks by the artist, followed by the music video, “Stars are Blind.” PVAs are generated by the sponsor, and employ typical YouTube features, including the ability to share, embed, and rate content. YouTube is the No. 1 video/movie destination on the Internet, garnering 11 million unique visitors for the week ending August 6, according to Nielsen//NetRatings, more than twice that of No. 2 destination IMDb.com and more than four times that of Netflix.com, which is No. 3 on the list.
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