Nine's advertising with balls

Nine might have won the first half of the year and as the old ‘still the one’ theme song is being warmed up the network has also launched an aggressive advertisement that ensures the networks balls are back in today’s Media and Marketing section of The Australian newspaper.

The clever four page or double sided broadsheet wraps around the Media and Marketing liftout with the cover saying, “In 2008 we’re Australian television’s leading network” accompanied by their results across all the demographics. Gordon Ramsay, Vince Colosimo, Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkison, Shelly Craft, Charlie Sheen and Liz Hayes grace the cover in the circular balls that reflects Nines “we heart tv” 2008 campaign.

The front page also boasts about Nine’s success with 60 Minutes, Domestic Blitz, State of Origin, Underbelly, Two and A Half Men, The Today Show and Gordon Ramsay.

On the inside Nine previews the shows that the network is still to launch in 2008 which we expect to see after the Olympics. The new shows include the “fast-tracking” of The Mentalist starring Australian Simon Baker and Fringe, starring fellow Aussie Anna Torv.

There are also new episodes of Two and A Half Men and a second series for Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA plus Hell’s Kitchen and The Chopping Block minus Catriona Rowntree to round-out Nine’s obsession with Ramsay and food.

Two new Australian dramas will screen on Nine, Scorched starring Vince Colosimo, Georgie Parker, Les Hill, Rachael Carpini and Cameron Daddo plus Gold Coast based cop-drama The Strip.

On the lifestyle front a new gardening show titled Battlefronts is set to debut with Gian Rooney as host. This show will see neighbours competing against one and other with time and budget constraints in attempt to transform their garden whilst What’s Good For You has been given the green light for another series with Lisa Wilkinson taking over as host from Sigrid Thornton.

Hole in the Wall is hosted by Jules Lund with a swag of celebrities trying to shape their bodies into peculiar positions in order to get through the wall. This is rumoured to appear AFL and NRL stars in a battle of the codes. Whilst Temptation will be back on air, possibly as the new news lead-in?

Or are Nine developing a new show for the end of the day? Confidential reported earlier this month that Nine are considering a show to possibly be in the mix as a news-lead in or post news show with more of a focus on entertainment and celebrity. Could this be the rumoured Five Live? Or are we going to see a sort of Today Show at the end of the day, before the news which combines news, current affairs, lifestyle, entertainment and segments.

Richard Wilkins and Georgie Gardner are two names that spring to mind, more than capable of hosting possibly their own version of a Afternoon Show or perhaps if Sonia Kruger could be poached from Seven, she or Sarah Murdoch could front this type of program.

Nine’s daytime scheduele is also about to get a makeover, removing the midday movie to be replaced with The View and Ellen, two American talk/chat shows previously used by Foxtel’s W Channel or Ellen appears on WIN with Susie in place of Mornings with Kerrie-Anne.

The advertisement in The Australian also advises of new series of RPA, Primeval, 20 to 1, Rugby League World Cup, Summer of Cricket as well as more Domestic Blitz, Crime Investigation Australia, The Gift and The Waiting Room.

The back page of the advertisement has been reserved for The Strip featuring lead cast members Vanessa Gray flanked by Aaron Jeffery, Frankie J. Holden, Bob Morley and Simone McAullay. Nine will be hoping this show reseructs the previous failure of Canal Road so it can ad the program to Young Doctors, the Underbelly prequel and Sea Patrol III to be screened in 2009.

Media and Marketing also reports that The Block will be returning in 2009 which has been a previous success for Nine. Jamie Durie is no longer contracted to Nine, so there will be a chance for a new host with Gian Rooney possibly on trial with Battlefronts but Hole in the Wall Host Jules Lund would have to be the frontrunner for this one. Possibly Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune and Celebrity Singing Bee host Tim Campbell or Domestic Blitz' Scott Cam might be in for a run as host unless someone new is picked to front the show.

Local versions of Wipeout and Ladette to Lady are going to be produced and aired this year. Nine is calling for contestants by simply going to www.ninemsn.com.au and registering with a host yet to be announced, Jules Lund may perhaps front Wipeout.

Nine’s advertisement in Media and Marketing matches their current television campaign which is powerful and states “the best is yet to come”...

We will see Nine as the network is getting in early, before the Olympics at which time most people will switch over to Seven to watch the games whilst being bombarded with Channel Seven advertising for their post-Olympics schedules which we all ready know will feature Packed to the Rafters, Make Me A Supermodel to be hosted by the glamorous Jennifer Hawkins and Dancing With the Stars will be back with Larry Emdur rumoured to be the new host.

Ten has a new Aussie drama themselves, Rush starring Underbelly’s Rodger Corser and Callan Mulvey plus former Water Rats star, Catherine McClements. Actually Corser joined Water Rats in the last episode of the drama as Detective George Newhouse to replace the departing Steve Bisley. McClements is no stranger to acting as a cop and neither is Corser who played Detective Steve Owen in Underbelly whilst Mulvey changes character as he previously has played criminal roles in both Underbelly and Home and Away.