"Reporter" interviews students about Clear & Clean.
Guess what? They like it a lot.
Mixing news with advertising is routine at Channel
One. any journalist weep.
Since the beginning of this school year, Channel One has been
running a Clear & Clean ad that would make true journalists
weep.
After a regular, network TV commercial for Clear & Clean
facial cleanser runs and clearly ends, students see the young woman
above who looks like a Channel One News reporter. Instead of a "1" on
the microphone there is a "Clean & Clear" emblem
but that is difficult for students to see on the small 19" TV
screens.
This is a second commercial for the product but this
time it is produced by Channel One’s production department. It
ends with the reporter telling students about a Clear & Clean
contest on Channel One.
There is no wording stating that this person is not
a real reporter. Channel One executives may feel that its audience
will know this is all a big joke but there are probably many middle
school students that believe this is a news report. Channel One
does everything it can to make this appear to be a real news story.
Obligation’s Jim Metrock said, "This isn’t the
first time that Channel One has used the fake reporter bit to help
their advertisers. They did it with Juicy Fruit gum. What they
are doing is making a mockery of journalism. Students are used
to Channel One’s real reporters pushing products and movies on
air. A student that has watched Channel One News for several years
probably has an extremely low opinion of journalism and reporters.
This is confusing and should be considered deceptive advertising."
A wide-shot gives the stealth commercial an authentic
look.
Channel One reporter: "What’s number one on
your back to school list?"
Student: "Definitely, clear skin."
"And how do you get your skin looking soooo
good?"
Channel One "reporter" asks just the
right questions for advertiser Johnson & Johnson.
As the fake news story ends, Channel One’s fake
reporter urges students to enter a contest at channelone.com so
they can win Clear and Clean products or $1,000 from Target stores.
Complete script of Channel One’s faux new report:
Channel One Reporter: I’m here at Bergen High
with your Clear and Clean Back-To-School report.
What’s number one on your back to school list?
Student 1: Definitely clear skin.
Channel One Reporter: And how do you get your skin looking so good?
Student 2: That’s easy Clear and Clean Action Cream Cleanser.
It gives me a really deep clean.
Student 1: And it’s the perfect size so I can take it anywhere.
Channel One Reporter (voice over): You get a free trial size sample
of Deep Action Cream Cleanser with any of these great Clear and Clean
products only at Target.
Channel One Reporter (with students behind her): Don’t miss out.
Go to ChannelOne.com for a chance to win a year supply of Clear and
Clean products or a $1,000 Target shopping spree.
After seeing the phony news story on Channel One’s
TV show, students go to channelone.com and once more see the Channel
One interviewer and the high school students who value "clear
skin" as their top priority this fall. Channel One News is
in total production control of this promotion.
See the commercial
that schoolchildren were forced to watch.
