In 1930, however, one company sponsored each show, and that business controlled all the ads. Sure, the ads are placed carefully to appeal to a target demographic, but there will be ads for competing brands and a disparate range of products, services, and even other television shows. Nowadays, you're likely to see all kinds of ads during any given television show. In fact, the term "soap opera" is a holdover from one of the earliest forms of sponsored content. The answer is part of the history of content marketing. So where's the soap? Why do we associate this type of program with a cleanser? The stories are melodramatic, often unbelievable, and expansive. You can picture exactly what it means: a serialized drama that airs multiple times per week and follows the intersecting lives of families in a certain town. One of the most prominent examples of this type of advertising is soap operas. One of the most famous examples of such sponsorship was Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre on the Air program by Campbell's Soup. Just like Little Orphan Annie, other radio shows were sponsored by specific companies. Radio was an early adopter of content marketing, even though nobody knew it yet. It began long before, through many media, including magazines and pamphlets. The history of content marketing doesn't begin with the Internet age. This type of advertising was common in the early days of radio, and it created an indelible presence in pop culture.
During the 15-minute program, the audience listened to the announcer praise Ovaltine for two full minutes at the beginning and at least one minute at the end. One thing the film got right was Ovaltine they were, in fact, the show's sole sponsor. When he completes the code, he announces the result in dismay: "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine? A crummy ad?" This classic moment in cinema gives us a glimpse into the history of content marketing.Īccording to Radio Archive, the Little Orphan Annie show did use decoder pins and secret messages, but the messages typically contained hints about the next show. When that magic moment arrives, Ralphie rushes to the bathroom, the only private room in the house, where he frantically decodes the string of numbers.
If, like a lot of people, you watched A Christmas Story last month, you probably remember this scene: After waiting and waiting, Ralphie listens anxiously to Radio Orphan Annie for the end when the secret code will be revealed.