Blip.tv's Mike Hudack Brokers Deal With Rocketboom - Ads In QuickTime Videos A First

I got this from ClickZ as it's 2:45 AM and I'm too tired to blog it myself. Props to Mike.

Rocketboom’s quirky video blog now contain clickable video ad overlays that might mark the first time such ad units were created in QuickTime, according to those involved.

The ad campaigns are the result of a deal between Rocketboom and blip.tv, an online network that hosts, distributes, finds sponsors for and shares revenue with independently produced programs. Blip.tv is also now hosting Rocketboom segments, serving its RSS feed and syndicating it to other online video portals, said blip.tv co-founder and CEO Mike Hudack. Other shows on the growing site include Wallstrip, Geek Entertainment TV and Alive in Baghdad.

The first ad campaign to accompany Rocketboom episodes is for the second season of Comedy Central’s The Sarah Silverman Program. Blip.tv worked with New York ad agency Deep Focus to broker the deal. In addition to the QuickTime video ad overlay, the campaign includes post-roll videos for the Silverman show.

Blip.tv personnel began working with counterparts at Rocketboom several months ago and built the infrastructure needed to transfer Rocketboom’s hundreds of episodes to blip.tv, said Hudack. It also developed what Hudack calls “pioneering new technology” needed to serve the Silverman campaign ads.

Hudack said he believes it’s the first time anybody has created interactive QuickTime overlay ads that behave similarly to the more common Flash units. “Historically, with Flash video on the Web you can pretty much do anything you want, but QuickTime is more complicated and more difficult to work with,” he said. “QuickTime is not an authoring environment." He said the overlay comes up within a few seconds of the initiation of a video and has a close button..

Hudack declined to share early results, but he said the partnership is "seeing good viewership numbers and good impression numbers.”

The QuickTime overlay works in iTunes and Miro. In his blog, Hudack praised “the brilliant Dennis Backus of Apple’s QuickTime team and Josh Paul of Aweli” for their work on the project. He also said Rocketboom co-creator Andrew Michael Baron, “wouldn’t settle for just any QuickTime advertising implementation” and “insisted on something groundbreaking.”

Blip.tv has 10 employees, three of which are involved in ad sales, working with “a number of different agencies and brands.”

In a statement, Deep Focus Media Director Eric Druckenmiller observed Rocketboom and Sarah Silverman are a good match since they feature “unique content” appreciated by both of their audiences. Hudack agreed, noting, “Everybody is trying to figure out how you take the content we deal with and match it with advertising” that resonates with the fans. He said many programs hosted by blip.tv have avid followers who are notified regularly when a new episode is available. “Some of these people get shows delivered on a daily basis,” said Hudack. “They develop a real relationship with the host or hostess.”

Also important is finding ways to serve advertisements that are as non-intrusive as possible, he said. The video overlays being used on Rocketboom are an example of this in that it gives viewers “the opportunity to learn more and, if they are not interested, to kind of tune it out or, if they want, to close it."

Meg White Shown Having Sex With Fat Guy - White Stripes Axes Tour

Here's yet another sex tape scandal! (What is it with this?)

Because this is a family blog for those 16 and up, I'm not going to run the sex tape that's posted all over the Internet and freely downloadable or postable. But I will have a face photo if only to attempt to confirm that it's Meg White of the White Stripes -- which I've never heard of. But many think it's her.



The sex video itself is nothing special. First, I hate to watch, and like to "do." Second, she's got a pot belly and is flabby. Third, I look better than he does by far.

But the question is -- is that her?



Well look at these photos and tell me what you think?

My view? That girl looks a lot like her...droopy chest and all. The boobs reveal it all. The lady in the movie has sagging tits; this photo of Meg White shows, you can see it, saggy tits. Then there's the hair and the nose and eye distance and ...it's her.

Blyk Is Innovative Solution That Could Revolutionize Communications

I just learned about Blyk a few seconds ago. The website for the product reads..

Blyk is the new mobile network for 16 – 24s that’s funded by advertising. Blyk links young people with brands they like and gives them free texts and minutes every month.

For advertisers, Blyk is an innovative, new media channel, providing direct access to the 16-24 year old market.

Blyk is now live in the UK. It will go pan-European during 2008 with the potential to reach over 40 million young consumers.

Blyk was co-founded by CEO Pekka Ala-Pietilä, former president of Nokia Corporation, and Antti Öhrling, Chairman and CEO of Contra Group.

Blyk has offices in London, UK and Helsinki, Finland

This network is free to the user and the target audience Blyk identifies is in every high school and college in the World. Wow. The most obvious connection to me is...

Well, I'm not going to say. Let's just leave this -- the clue: "Save The Cheerleader. Save The World."

President Bush Insults Barack Obama - Examiner

Yep. This Bush official -- who wasn't countered by the President, and so must be held to task -- said this:

As for Obama, a senior White House official said the freshman senator from Illinois was "capable" of the intellectual rigor needed to win the presidency but instead relies too heavily on his easy charm.

"It's sort of like, 'that's all I need to get by,' which bespeaks sort of a condescending attitude towards the voters," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "And a laziness, an intellectual laziness."

Of all the people to hurl such an accusation!

Barack Obama Wins Candidate Mashup Debate Poll - Huff Post

"Barack Obama Wins Candidate Mashup Debate Poll"

This news was just posted on the Huffington Post online news blog. The debate was the result of a collaboration between Slate, Yahoo, and the Huff Post. This win is significant, as the online event drew 1 million people.

Under Pressure From Hillary Clinton, GQ Kills Negative Story About Her - Politico.com

Apparently, GQ writer Josh Green wrote a negative article about Hillary Clinton . According to this article in Politico.com, it was killed by the Clinton campaign, who threatened to curb access to Bill Clinton. I wonder what the article said? Something like that can only stay low for so long.

NFL Sunday Night Football - Pats v. Chargers Video