Skincare products line Neutrogena will sponsor a whole character in the popular internet video drama Lonelygirl15.
The Johnson & Johnson company has inked a two-month deal that will add to the plot a 22-year-old Neutrogena scientist who helps lead character Bree develop a serum to defeat an evil organisation known as The Order.
Lonelygirl15, which skyrocketed in popularity last year on the suspicion Bree was not an actress but an ordinary 16-year-old girl with a webcam, has previously taken sponsorships.
Last year, the show partnered with confectioner Hershey’s to show Bree eating its IceBreaker sweets.
But the drama, conceived by Greg Goodfried and Miles Beckett, is looking to demonstrate that internet entertainment can win deeply integrated sponsor deals with the introduction of a “branded character”.
“At Neutrogena, we are always searching for innovative ways to reach our core consumer,” Laurent Combredet, group product director for Neutrogena, told Variety.
“Lonelygirl15 is a perfect demographic fit for Neutrogena. Our collaboration was inspired by the creators’ inventive approach to integrating our brand into the storyline of the series in a manner that their fans will appreciate.”
Neutrogena will stay away from the creative development but will promo the show on its website, embedding episodes on its pages.