CBS will be the first company to advertise in video in a print magazine, the company said on Wednesday. While it may sound ludicrous, the videos would actually play on a videochip supplied by Los Angeles-based Americhip, which would be able to hold about 40 minutes of video.

The September 18 issue of Entertainment Weekly would contain the ad, however not in all issues. Only issues of the magazine sent to subscribers in the Los Angeles and New York City markets would receive the special ad: other subscribers and the newsstand copy would carry a version of the ad without the video chip.

CBS is partnering with Pepsi, which would advertise its Pepsi Max soda alongside the network’s prime time lineup on Mondays. It is not clear how much the two companies are spending on the ads, as that was not disclosed.

I have to say this is an innovative way to advertise, and turns the idea of print on its head. Will this be what saves “print?” Time will tell. The technology is probably still prohibitively expensive (thus the highly targeted reach of the video-enabled ad), so it will probably be awhile before this type of print advertising goes mainstream.

But you have to give credit to CBS for at least being innovative.

 
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