Ad Agency Diverts TV Money To Hulu

A major force in the advertising industry is making a noteworthy change in direction.  MediaVest, which is a subsidiary of the Publicis Groupe, will buy lots of ads on Hulu using money originally intended for other channels, including traditional television.

Brian Morrissey reported this morning, "The Publicis Groupe agency is committing several million dollars of ad spending to Hulu over the next year as part of an upfront deal targeted to demographic clusters.  The agreement includes at least six MediaVest clients, with potentially more to join."

MediaVest’s clients, by the way, include huge companies like AAA, Coca-Cola, Capital One, Kraft, Mattel, Procter & Gamble, and Wal-Mart.

Also, after talking to Amanda Richman, the managing digital director at MediaVest, Morrissey continued, "The deal represents a ‘significant’ increase in spending on Hulu, she added, noting the money is being diverted from both broadcast TV spending and online budgets."

This development should provide Hulu with a real chance to prove itself.  Or, considering that most brands try not to gamble away millions of dollars, the move may be evidence that Hulu’s already gained an edge over television.

Either way, Hulu should enjoy the extra cash, and this appears to give it a leg up on YouTube.