Bravo Likes Branded Companion Web Series

Maybe it has something to do with the fact Bravo’s Executive Vice-President of Original Programming and Development, Andy Cohen made his on camera debut online. Or maybe Bravo’s just a little more web savvy than other cable networks. Regardless of the reason, Bravo sure likes to produce it some original companion web series for its regularly scheduled television programming.

In addition to the Watch What Happens Live After Show, a number of Real Housewives online spin-offs, and this season’s Second Chance / Losers Bracket for Top Chef: Texas, Bravo has developed at least two companion web series with major brands attached. ConAgra sponsored an online mini-season of Top Chef oriented towards a $25,000 cash prize, healthy eating, and the launch of a Top Chef-endorsed line of Healthy Choice frozen entrees. And now Work of Art made a deal with Cars.com to create an online contest with the television show’s contestants for a cash prize and a creative trophy.

Tewz, Young Sun,

The Sucklord, et al. will compete to create a new trophy for the Cars.com Car of the Year. The motor vehicle website-sponsored action will unfold over eight weeks worth of weekly online episodes, at the end of which one winner of the “real-life business challenge” (and one lucky fan at home who enters the accompanying sweepstakes) will walk away with $10,000 in cash.

For a program that aspires to find “the next great artist,” it’s difficult to ignore the obvious and thematically irrelevant shill (though disciples and students of Richard Teague may argue otherwise, it’s hard to associate high art with a website engineered to find you the best price on, and information about your next purchase of a motor vehicle). But if this means the opportunity to see a plastic pink action figure car trophy in a clam shell splattered with hypercolor paint, I’m game.

(Sick Sucklord photo by Jeremy Raid.)