The Incredible, Indelible Egg

The Clanton Women have graduated from watching Survivor to American Idol to Rock Star this summer, with sprinklings of other quasi-reality shows in between, like Big Brother and Fear Factor.

The only brain cells required are those necessary to suspend any awareness that these shows are just eye candy, and a reminder that what Edward R. Murrow predicted about Television is coming true:

"This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire, but it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box."

CBS, the network for which Murrow worked his entire career, is thinking outside the box (pun intended) to attract more viewers. Watch for the CBS logo and slogans promoting the network and various shows to appear along with coded expiration dates on eggs sold by grocers!

Who hatched this idea?

More than 35 million eggs will be laser-etched with clever phrases like, "CSI: Crack the Case on CBS" and "The Class, New Grade-A CBS Comedy." The campaign is part of a deal cooked up by CBS Marketing Group and EggFusion, an egg-coding company, to be laid this fall when the new TV season is cracked open.

This new way of thinking about advertising is part of what the CBS calls its "Outernet strategy," which is an effort to reach viewers "outside their homes as they go about their daily lives." Guess networks are like navels, everyone has either an "inny" or an "outie."

Not to be out done, one of our BizRadio Network Producers in Dallas, Ray Whitworth, suggested the following Outernet marketing strategies for our group:

• Toasters that will grill the likeness of Brent Clanton on each slice, with the BizRadioNetwork Logo and stations’ frequencies, proclaiming "Spread your mornings with Brent;"
• California Oranges Bearing the Likeness of Vince Rowe, "Squeeze as much as you can from the stock market with Vince;"
• Margarita Glasses with Eddie Reyes featured, specially etched with “Raise your glass to entrepreneurial opportunities with Eddie;"
• Cans of corn bearing labels with the smiling face of Mike Yorba; “Food or Ethanol in this can? You decide with Mike Yorba."

As Ray has said…the possibilities are endless. Murrow is spinning in his grave.