MTV2 episodes don't have commercials but do pitch Lee jeans

Here is a riddle from the brave new world of branded entertainment: When is a TV program that is billed as commercial-free not commercial-free? When a six-minute sponsored segment is part of the show.

That is what viewers of "Control Freak" on the MTV2 cable network will see when they watch three of its episodes, scheduled to appear at 11:30 p.m. Eastern time this Sunday and on Nov. 14 and Nov. 28. About two-thirds of the way through each seemingly commercial-free episode, the sponsored segment will appear, courtesy of the Lee Dungarees brand of jeans, sold by a division of the VF Corporation.

The segments, titled "Buddy Lee, Guidance Counselor," feature the venerable Lee Dungarees brand character - a doll named Buddy Lee - dispensing droll advice to high schoolers about potential careers like trapeze artist, ventriloquist and acting in steamy, Spanish-language "telenovela" soap operas. Viewers will be able to vote for one of three endings for each segment on a Web site, just as during the regular segments of "Control Freak" they can vote for one of three music video clips to be shown.


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