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Produced and developed by the Google Japan team, the ad was posted on YouTube back in January 2009 and has since clocked up to more than 2.2million views.

The new TV campaign will initially target the American market, screening on cable channels and networks that are members of the Google TV Ads system.

Described by Google as a “small experiment,” experts have added that the campaign is a low risk venture for the company, with creative already on hand and easy access to Google TV ads.

A statement released on the official Google blog, said,

“After releasing this video on the web, we got lots of positive feedback and thoughtful comments,” said the company. “We designed a Google TV Ads campaign which we hope will raise awareness of our browser … we’re excited to see how this test goes and what impact television might have on creating more awareness of Google Chrome.”

Google has previously featured in spots for other brands such as T-Mobile, but this will be the first time the company has appeared in a stand alone advert.

A marketing campaign for the Chrome web browser was launched last month by Google, where 11 videos were commissioned from small creative firms for around $10,000 each.

Initially the videos were posted and promoted on Google-owned YouTube, where they were seen by thousands, but have since been used on websites through ad buys.

The on-going campaign also featured an expanding advertisement which appeared on the front page of the New York Times’ website.

Google Chrome is a new browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer and easier.

According the NetApplications, Chrome has captured just 1.42 per cent of the browser market. That share places itself as ahead of Netscape, but behind Apple’s Safari (8.21 per cent), Mozilla’s Firefox (22.48 per cent) and Microsoft Explorer (66.1 per cent).

The entertainment giant, Disney has acquired a stake in US online TV platform Hulu, the joint venture between NBC Universal and News Corp.

Today’s reports have revealed that Disney is taking almost a 30% stake in the platform, although financial details have not been disclosed.

This follows Hulu’s deal in March with Digital Rights Group, making it the first Britiah distributor to work with the service.

The deal will see Disney screen full-length episodes of its ABC TV programmes such as Lost, Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty on Hulu.

President and CEO at the Walt Disney Comapny, Robert Iger, president will sit on Hulu’s board of directors, together with Kevin Mayer, executive VP, corporate strategy, business development & technology and Anne Sweeney, co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president, Disney/ABC Television Group.

Iger said, “From our landmark iTunes deal to our pioneering decision to stream ad supported shows on our ABC.com player, Disney has sought to meet the constantly evolving viewing habits of our consumers, and today’s Hulu announcement is the next important step in that ongoing journey.”

Jason Kilar, CEO of Hulu, said, “We continue to aspire to deliver a service that users, advertisers and content owners unabashedly love.”

The Hulu-Disney agreement may have worrying consequences for it’s biggest rivals, YouTube and CBS, who are both involved in a battle with Hulu over online video viewers and revenue from adverts run during the programs.

Industry experts are also predicting that the deal could lumber Apple with some unwanted implications, as their stratergy for selling and renting video content online will be marred by Hulu’s  growing popularity.

However, recent figures show that there is no need for YouTube to start sweating yet.

Despite the site’s flux in popularity, its average time-spent-per-viewer has declined. The site recorded 58 minutes per viewer in March, down from 79 in January, whereas YouTube viewers spent an average of almost two-and-a-half hours on the site in March.

The predictions made by Microsoft is down to the current trends of internet use in recent years, highlighting that the internet is become a popular medium to consume TV content.

The results, released in the Microsoft report, ‘Europe Logs On: Internet Trends of Today and Tomorrow’ predict that internet consumption in 2010 will average 14.2 hours per week, or over 2.5 days a month, compared to 11.5 hours per week or two days a month, for TV.

The report described TV as becoming a two-way connected experience delivered via broadband to multiple screens including TV, PC and mobile.

Results showed that the PC, for many 18-24 year olds is the only screen used for all their media consumption, while others still use the computer as a second or third screen to the TV.

The report found that one in seven 18-24 year olds  frequently watch video on demand, and rarely watch live TV at all.

Over the next five years the PC is expected to move from being a completely dominant internet device (today accounting for 95% of the access) to representing just 50 per cent of internet usage, as other web devices grow in personality, such as, TV, mobile phones and games consoles.

The report also found that currently, almost 50 per cent of Europeans now have an internet connection and users spend almost nine hours a week using the web is 2008, up 27 per cent from 2004. These results proved that people spend more time on the internet than they do reading print media, watcing movies offline or plaing video games.

There is still a prominant divide between the North and South of Europe, with the North having a internet penetration rate of 76 per cent on average, compared to 45 per cent in the South.

Jeffrey Cole, centre for digital future director at USC Annenberg School, said, “Rather than shrinking, television will only grow in importance. TV no longer refers to the big screen in the home but to audio and visual content that will be watched everywhere.

“It will become our constant companion as it escapes from the home for the first time via the mobile phone and netbook PC.”

John Mangelaars, vice president of Microsoft consumer and online, EMEA, said, “The three screens-TV, mobile and PC will remain the most important media and technology in our lives.

“While today the experience is fragmented across multiple media devices and environments-from the living room television to the bedroom PC to the portable music player and mobile phone-in future, software from Microsoft and others will enable connected, integrated, entertainment experiences.”

The advertisement will feature star comedian, Paddy McGuinness, alongside a small terrier called, Scamp. Accompanying the advert is the Terry Bush hit, Maybe Tomorrow (Littlest Hobo).

The advertisement will focus on Greggs new products, including Belgian Triple Chocolate Muffins, Sicilian Lemon and sandwiches made with better quality bread and high-standard pasties.

The advertisement was created by Propaganda and will be supported by outdoor press and radio. Media buying was handled by Media Vest Manchester.

The campaign is due to break on Easter Monday, during a 60-second spot during Hell’s Kitchen on ITV. Further to this, Greggs will run specific product 10-second spots.

McGuinness has been the face of Greggs £3 million advertising campaign for over a year, focusing on a variety of Greggs freshly baked products.

Scott Jefferson, marketing director at Greggs, said: “In addition to upgrading our shops we wanted to develop an integrated campaign to highlight not only the variety of products on offer but also the high quality of the ingredients used throughout the range.

“Greggs has for many years been a leading name on the high street, bringing freshly baked products to a cross-section of the public, so we wanted our campaign to appeal to everyone. Paddy McGuinness is very personable and is known to consumers across various age ranges. We felt he was perfect for injecting humour, while getting our key messages across.” 

The campaign follows a promising growth from the high street bakery chain, which saw a 1 per cent rise in like-for-like sales for the ten weeks to the 7th March. The total sales from last year were up by 7.1 per cent.

However, annual profits were down 3.3 per cent year-on-year, due to the rising costs of energy and ingredients. Greggs pre-tax profits were just under £50 million.

In February, Greggs launched a scheme to trial an upmarket store format to explore ways of driving customer spend. The trial store is due to launch in London this month, will have a larger customer area and more modern ambiance than current Greggs outlets.

Channel 4 has been attacked by BSkyB for wasting millions of pounds on failed business ventures in a letter to communications minister Lord Carter. 

The claims state that the broadcaster has wasted £270m in the last ten years on, “unprofitable non-core commercial activities.” The letter further goes on to argue that the government should step in to prevent Channel 4 making future “poor” investments. 

Due to falling advertising revenue, Channel 4 claim they are facing a funding shortfall of £150m by 2012, and are wanting the government to intervene.

The letter from Sky derives from part of the response regarding the Carter’s interim Digital Britain report. The report opened a number of options for securing the Channel 4’s service broadcasting role as part of a larger entity, which included BBC Worldwide or with a commercial broadcaster.

The argument by Sky suggests that Channel 4 is in a stronger financial position than many of its commercial rivals, with cash reserves of £425m. The claims suggest that the broadcaster could retain its independence by withdrawing from unprofitable businesses, and finding new sources of revenues to keep it out of the red. 

Further in the letter, Sky have suggested that they are prepared to work with Channel 4 to “create a profitable suite of pay channels” that would be carried on the Sky platform and heavily promoted along the way.

Sky concluded that while they recognise the impact of the spiraling advertising market may have on Channel 4’s revenue in the short term, the satellite broadcaster believe Channel 4 are “well placed to ride out the storm and participate in the eventual upturn in advertising.”

Concerns were also raised in the letter about the government’s plans to create a second public service broadcaster, with Channel 4 at its centre, in order to compete with the BBC.

Today, a speech is being held by Sky’s Chief Executive, Jeremy Darroch, to call on the government to abandon those plans.

ITV Faces a £2.6bn Loss And Over 600 Redundancies

ITV has announced a £2.6bn loss after tax for 2008, 600 redundancies in tow and a prediction of their first quarter advertising revenues to be down 17 per cent.

The loss has come after the economic climate and declining sales in advertising has taken its toll on the broadcaster, forcing them to cut costs in all sectors of their services.

The press, in recent weeks, have been circulating the initiatives put forward by the broadcaster in order to reduce costs.

Wednesday saw the broadcaster confirm that it will suspend its final dividend, dispose of Friends Reunited and cut its programming budget by £65m this year with plans for cuts in future years.

Considerations are also underway in opting for a Freeview slot leasing business on SDN.

The number of redundancies, however, has risen from 500 to 600, which, according to the company, will mainly fall on its central services and in its studio operations outside London.

The job cuts plan to save the company, annually, around £245m in 2011.

“Significant savings will be delivered in central services and across ITV Studios operations outside London. As a result, there will be a further reduction in headcount of around 600 posts across ITV,” the broadcaster added.

However, press reports reveal that the redundancies point towards the closure of its Leeds studios in Yorkshire.

The broadcaster has been hit across a variety of sectors which keeps their company afloat. Advertising revenues have fallen 4 per cent to £1.43bn, compared to a 5 per cent fall in the overall market.

For 2009, the public service broadcaster has predicted that advertising will be hit badly this year, and has added £1.1bn to the impairment charge of £1.6bn, based on the first half of their 2008 results.

Chairman Michael Grade said in a results statement, “Current conditions in the advertising market are the most challenging I have experienced in over 30 years in UK broadcasting, this is reflected both in our financial results for 2008 and the tough actions we are announcing today.”

The move to sell Friends Reunited, bought by the ITV in 2005 for £120m, comes after sites like Facebook, MySpace and Bebo have taken over the social networking market.

The broadcaster plans to sell the profitable social networking site to concentrate on online video services. Grade said, “Our immediate priorities need to adapt to reflect the very different economic circumstances in which we are operating.

“The board’s focus is on ensuring the company is adequately funded to navigate through the downturn. The ITV senior management team is focused on our core business, on costs and on cash generation.” The consultation will begin this Friday and is expected to last 90 days.

Revenues hit £5.4bn, up from £4.7bn in 2007, which helped push pre-tax profit up to £400 million, from £254 million a year earlier.

The company’s three biggest brands, Dairy Milk,Trident and Halls, increased 11%, it says, with Dairy Milk growth led by a good performance in the UK.

The chocolate company Cadbury has launched a series of Fallon-created Dairy Milk television adverts over the last 18 months starting with the highly acclaimed “Gorilla” campaign followed by “Airport Trucks” and most recently “Eyebrows”, which shows a brother and sister demonstrating a range of eyebrow dance moves to the sound of “Don’t Stop the Rock’” by electro-funk act, Freestyle.

The chief executive of Cadbury Todd Stitzer, says the “relative resistance” of its business model pushed growth last year and although the company is not immune to the global economic downturn it expects to deliver revenue growth at “the lower end” of its 4-6% goal range this year.

Cadburys adverts have become well known in recent times due to the ‘quirky’ style they are put across in and the attractive theme tunes used as backing music in the adverts – which is going to allow the brand to communicate with a larger target audience.

National Heart Forum contacted Ofcom after the body monitored reports that Domino’s sponsorship of the Sky One TV show appeared to be avoiding the HFSS restrictions by simply not showing the pizza product in the programme credits. The HFSS regulations were drawn up in 2005 and even at this point a concern was raised that brand advertising and sponsorship was a potential loophole to the regulations put in place in regards to advertising. 

The NHF claimed that the sponsorship credits “show everything to promote pizzas except the finished product: from the preparation and packaging to the anticipated delivery of a dial-up pizza” and that the company was “failing to observe the spirit as well as the letter of the rules”. The Simpsons is broadcast between 7 pm and 9 pm in “peak viewing hours for children”, according to NHF.

Ofcom examined the four episodes of the Sky show broadcast on 30 January transmitted back to back and found the total 16 sponsorship credits consisted of “a loose narrative” showing two men watching TV, ordering a pizza and representations of a pizza being made and despatched. The closing frame of each credit contained the words “Domino’s Delivery Service” and the order telephone number.

The findings have been argued and have said that these credits do not breach the rules, also adding that the audience of The Simpsons is not exclusively children and that adults actually comprise 72% of a typical shows audience. 

Ofcom investigated the claims of the simpsons actually being viewed by a higher percentage of adults and stated that in the first quarter of 2008 the actual audience under 16 for The Simpsons was 81 per cent higher that the average expected for a multi-channel audience and so advertising in or around the programme was subject to the rules on HFSS products.

Domino’s ended its sponsorship of the programme ‘The Simpsons’ at the end of last year.