Hey kids! I eat Munchie Chews and you should too...

Listening to Adam Curry's Daily Source Code (mp3 file here - 11/9/04), I nearly drove off the road when he suggested he would try and hook up the Rock and Roll Geek Show with Heineken as a sponsor. While he may have been kidding about that scenario, the idea points to a destination that Curry can take commercial podcasting; notional personality marketing. Remember those hilarious Johnny Carson live-spots from years ago? Okay, maybe you don't and that's why this old idea is new again. Carson could completely fluff his lines, have the dog pee in the food or veer off into an unrelated story, but in the end he was always able to make the brand and the product stand out. He could have you laughing at the product and get you to buy it too. Curry, with his money, personality and Rolodex could create a juggernaut of personality based marketing, not only for his show; but also, for others. Would it not be great to have commercialism leashed by compelling personalities with good content rather than have it the other way around?

The only problem with the Heineken idea? They're unlikely to support a podcast that mentions the brand name in the context of lonely binge drinking in a strange hotel after a spousal altercation. Regardless of the distribution medium, advertising codes of ethics will still apply. This is something podcasters are going to have to get use to. There are a number of notional scenarios with Dawn and Drew that would work for a variety of adult lifestyle products, but who is going to take a chance at letting Dawn loose with a product endorsement that could veer into actionable territory? That's going to mean either separate spots -- ie: they will just sound like regular commercials, yuck --or carefully scripted endorsements; which will sound strained and artificial. Podcasters that can exhibit professional-style discipline even while they are outspoken will become the medium's first advertising stars. Sounds like Adam Curry to me.