Neutrogena inks deal with Lonelygirl15

Talk about product placement! Variety’s Marc Graser reports that Neutrogena has signed a deal with the producers of Lonelygirl15 that will add a new character to Bree’s fictional world – a handsome, 22-year-old Neutrogena scientist “who helps the series’ lead characters create a serum in order to thwart an evil org known as the Order.” The cast’s latest member will make his first appearance of his two-month stint alongside

Sight unseen, I give the “Neutrogenasodes” two thumbs up for creativity alone.  The Burg features hipsters with Motorolas and dotBoom eBay auctioned a custom puppet to appear in it’s season finale, but an entire character who will appear in several weeks of programming that makes anti-wrinkle, anti-blemish cleanser by day and fights the occult at night?  Maybe it’s a sign that Lonelygirl has jumped the shark (possibly for the second time), but regardless of the quality of the content, this is a revolutionizing marketing method that’s sure to make more innovative ad dollars flow into the online space.

Well…if they can pull it off. This isn’t Lonelygirl15’s first foray into product placement. In an episode from late March, we saw Bree bust out of nowhere with some Hershey’s Icebreakers Sours Gum. The ad was forced, disassociated with the storyline, and left a bad taste in viewers’ mouths. Check out the last 30 seconds of the clip below and judge for yourself. Hopefully they can do better this time around.