Madison & Vine

Madison & Vine is a term that has come to represent the merging of advertising and entertainment in an effort to break through the clutter and create new avenues for reaching consumers with more engaging messages. There are two forms of Madison & Vine: Advertainment and Branded Entertainment. I will be focusing on the second.



Branded entertainment involves making the brand an inseparable part of some other form of entertainment. The most common form of branded entertainment is product placements.

CoverGirl makeup uses branded entertainment to advertise during America’s Next Top Model. As the season nears the end, one of the elimination competitions usually involves creating a commercial for the latest CoverGirl product. Viewers then willingly sit through each contestant’s commercials. After the commercials end, the ladies are led to a CoverGirl photo shoot. At the end of the cycle, the photos are used to promote the winner.

Essentially, the entire America’s Next Top Model episode is a CoverGirl promotion. Even when the show breaks for commercials, it is likely that another CoverGirl ad will be played. The product becomes integrated within the show. Viewers have no choice but to view the advertisements if they want to see the episode.



Juliann Morrison, Section E