Advertorial

It is a lightly veiled advertisement that is presented in print, television, and on blogs as an editorial or information piece. The term first officially appeared 1946 in the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Advertorial articles are sometimes presented as an objective report designed to look like a legitimate news story.

For television presentations these productions are what are commonly known as infomercials but in some daytime programs they feature light talk designed to draw a predominately female audience in which segments feature presentations of products, services, and packages by businesses. In most cases a paid celebrity spokesperson has a ‘casual’ discussion with the host of the show and usually at some point in the broadcast presents a special offer for viewers. These segments are designed to give businesses an opportunity to present products and services that might not be possible in a traditional thirty-second or one minute advertisement.