21-02-2025
Flashback Friday: Adding Advertisements to VHS
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — In this day and age we're used to seeing an ad or two before, during, even after watching our favorite show or movie. In this week's Flashback Friday Mark Ferree takes us back to 1987, for a look at one of the first VHS tapes to contain an advertisement before the flick.
Honoring the brave little one
If you've been waiting for a copy of the movie top gun to hit the video stores you might be surprised to find it has a retail price of just $26.95 instead of the $60 or $70 cost of most recent box office smashes.
But when you pop the video into a machine you'll see one of the reasons why it seems like such a good buy, there's a commercial at the beginning of it.'Great'
What's great is the ad lowers the movie's price to consumers because Pepsi picks up some of the cost. But some customers say getting a commercial with their video is a bit more than they bargained for.
'I'm planning on fast forwarding to 25 if i see the commercial I'll just go a little bit farther till I get the movie.'
'Pepsi bottling company officials say that if the public accepts the idea of having a commercial in top gun that the practice might take off with other advertisers and movie distributors getting into the act.'
And that's just what you can expect to see in the future if the already brisk demand for the movie is any indication of consumer acceptance.
'I don't think it really makes any difference as long as it doesn't interrupt the movie itself.''They're short like in Top Gun I'll watch it anyways.'
Video Movies caught on to begin with because they are convenient and people didn't have to watch commercials in them so it's a bit ironic that customers are willing to pay for a movie with a commercial in it, even if they are paying less.
'The consumer's going to benefit and the movie industries going to benefit, and so is Pepsi, I think everybody wins.' Mark Ferree, KELOLAND News, Yankton.
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