Guerrilla marketing raises questions about deception

When Wieden+Kennedy made a one-hour logo-laden movie for Brand Jordan about boxer Roy Jones Jr., the ESPN2 network reportedly aired it at no cost to Nike.

Everyone won -- especially viewers, who got a close-up look at Jones that only Nike could deliver -- say Wieden+Kennedy managers.

Not so, says Gary Ruskin, director of Commercial Alert, a Portland-based nonprofit that works nationally to contain commercialization.

"When Wieden+Kennedy engages in this trickery and networks do as well, they're brazenly violating the public's right to know who is seeking to persuade them," Ruskin says. "It's deeply sleazy and part of the creep of advertising into every nook and cranny of our lives and culture."

As the Portland-based ad agency helps lead the industry into branded content and guerrilla-marketing campaigns, the firm blurs long-established lines between programming and advertising. The crossovers and ploys, which include Internet hoaxes that create a buzz for products, delight creative ad executives and outrage critics.

Ruskin founded his organization in 1998 with Ralph Nader. Commercial Alert claims more than 2,000 members, as well as success persuading the Federal Trade Commission to require that Internet search engines clearly identify link sponsorship. Now the organization is trying to persuade the Federal Communications Commission to require disclosure of embedded advertising.

"Television is turning into an infomercial medium," Ruskin says.

Wieden+Kennedy made the Roy Jones Jr. movie for $650,000, according to Advertising Age newspaper -- a bargain compared with the cost of TV commercials. The movie "Sweet Science: A Jordan Love Story" chronicles the boxer's preparation for a major bout.

An ESPN spokeswoman declined to discuss the network's deal with Nike on the movie, referring inquiries to the Beaverton-based company. Adam Roth, Nike content and partnership director, turned down interview requests and wouldn't discuss financing of the Jones movie and other projects.

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