The Washington Post published an article on how offline print media is being used to spike interest in Online Advertising Campaigns and I got the information care of GrokDotCom's consolidated RSS Feed.

"….This has led to the increasing popularity of softer marketing ploys, such as event sponsorships (think: author readings hosted by a local dealership, or an art installation commissioned by a major automaker), "webisodes" and "advergaming."

I just wrote about Engagement through Real Estate Webisodes to spark interest in property being developed by a builder. But the whole thing started in 1855 with Charles Dickens.

In 1855? Yes, according the the Washington Post article:

"….In 1855, Charles Dickens wrote an advertisement for a hotel he stayed in. It was later turned into a book, and he may also have gotten a few free rides from the Pickwick carriage line for "The Pickwick Papers."

It turns out that Green Lantern and the Hulk were recruited to do the same thing 30 years ago:

"…Comic book purists may have been appalled by DC Comics' launch last year of a six-part miniseries featuring a new hero who drives a Pontiac Solstice. But 30 years ago, Green Lantern was shilling Hostess fruit pies, Captain Marvel and the Incredible Hulk pushed Twinkies, and Wonder Woman rescued Hostess cupcakes."

But that was Comic Books, something kids mostly read then (baby boomers now); it's different when Mainstream Media is doing it.

"…If the tale of "Black Sapphire Pearl" blurs the line between fiction and advertising, it also exemplifies a $2 billion enterprise that is increasingly encroaching on traditional advertising, according to PQ Media, a Stamford, Conn., media research firm. With TiVo skipping commercials and pop-up blockers neutralizing online ads, traditional advertising is under assault everywhere. "Seamless brand integration" means that books, cartoons, video games and even television shows are now the hottest vehicles for advertisers to get their products in front of a target audience.

So Smith, who also writes for television and film, shaped his novel "to be really cool and different and literary." He says, "It doesn't read like an ad." More like this:

The Lexus loaner turned out to be a GS Hybrid. To say it was an upgrade from the battered Crown Vic I'd driven with the LAPD would be an understatement. For one, you don't need a key. You keep the remote control thing in your pocket and to start the car you just push a button on the dash. Like on a computer. In fact the car's more like a super-powered laptop on wheels than anything else.

I've been watching Heroes on Monday Night and I know they have a comic book connected to it and you can watch past episodes.  I can't swear there's also a printed comic book as well. There's also games - like an online quiz:

There's also a Wiki for Heroes  (which I'm sure the show's writers look at) and Hiro has a Blog (I wonder if the actor writes it?).

So, online and offline are merging.  What we need - is the metrics underpinning - and from the creative side - to have clear bounderies.