Sell-Off! Roommates vs. quarterlife
MySpace recently launched two original web series: the high-minded (and high-priced) quarterlife, about 20-nothings in existential crises (check out Karina’s review), and the blatantly low-brow Roommates, about slender women lounging in bikinis. While the two take very different approaches to webisodic entertainment, they both appear to have the same mission: to sell you a car.
Roommates shamelessly hawks Fords, while quarterlife tries to weave its Toyota lovin’ into the story (two characters are making a commercial for Toyota, how meta!). Product placements are a fact of life, especially for nascent web series — but which one works better? After the jump, watch both and vote in our poll.
First up, Roommates and the Ford Focus:
Roommates Ep14: The Test Drive
Add to My Profile | More Videos
And now, quarterlife brings you, the Prius:
quarterlife Part 1
Add to My Profile | More Videos
Well, which one convinced you? The not-even-gonna-hide it approach from Roommates, or the angst-ridden pretensions of quarterlife?
Popular
Recent
Network
- College Humor’s LOLaid Raises Funds For Haiti [NewTeeVee]
- Tablet PC Team Blog Shuts Down [jkOnTheRun]
- Daily Sprout [Earth2Tech]
- YouTube Will Kill Flat-rate Mobile Broadband Pricing Forever [GigaOM]
- Portable Apps for the Mac [WebWorkerDaily]
- Sponsor post: Atimi Software Joins AT&T Business Alliance Channel Program as an Apple Ecosystem Elite Member [TheAppleBlog]
© 2010 The GigaOM Network. Marketing consulting by ACS.


At least the quarterlife pitch is slightly more subtle. They didn’t hit you in the face with it.
The Ford example is probably more lucrative in the short-term, but the quarterlife example blew my socks off. I think it’s better to build a report with a loyal audience and introduce brands in a respectful way.
I’ll buy the Prius just cause Quarterlife is a far better show.
And the miles rocks.
The angst-ridden pretensions’ of Quarterlife seem to me not only perfectly styled but also to promise excellent on-going entertainment. I think the target audience will sigh a passing “whatever”, recognizing the product placement for what it is and, accepting it, moving on.
What I am waiting for are ‘webisodix’ created outside the United States, from South Korea, Brazil, France, Russia. When they appear on the radar I trust NewTeeVee will spot them.