CBS' Swingtown Losing Advertisers

Image from source, Ad Age

How lame is this really? Swingtown, a CBS show about the swingin' 70s has advertisers skittering. Why? Yes, the subject matter is racy. But it is a 10 pm show, and the "swinging" element is only a part of a rich, fun drama series. There isn't much in Swingtown that is racier than a typical Desperate Housewives, or any weekday soap opera. In fact, one of the advertisers jumping ship is Procter & Gamble--one of the major sponsors of the soaps. Silly.

But trust me folks, this is a great show, particularly if you are old enough to remember the 70s first hand. Attention to detail--while not perfect--is several notches higher than most nostalgia pieces. The music is great. The fashion is terrific. It's good, guilty pleasure fun. Maybe if it gets too rough for CBS, they can put it on one of the other Viacom-owned properties.

[Excerpt]

Advertisers Don't Party With CBS's Swingers: Broadcasters Pay the Price for Competing With Cable

You wouldn't think Philips North America, the company whose Bodygroom razor offers American males an "extra optical inch," would be easily fazed. But it was rather taken aback by consumer reaction to its advertising on "Swingtown."

'Swingtown' features characters who enjoy the occasional skinny dip, wife swap or threesome. . .

Read more at: Ad Age

And if you'd like to see what all the fuss is about, you can find clips--and entire episodes--here.