"Jersey Shore" Gives Viacom's Brand Major Fist-Pump

MTV's parent company, Viacom, has been in the dumps since the summer of 2006. "That has now changed," said David Miller, an analyst at Caris & Co. who upgraded the stock to "Above Average" from "Below Average."

The antics of "The Situation" and "Snooki" have made headlines and garnered millions of viewers for MTV. The Seaside Heights, NJ, housemates who are united by a daily GTL (gym, tanning, and laundry) routine and have made "Jersey Shore" the top prime-time show for viewers in the 12 to 34 age group on Thursdays.
 
The "Jersey Shore" cast is currently in negotiations for another season and is making the rounds at clubs, banking thousands of dollars each for appearances.
 
So will companies like Dominos Pizza and Dell decide to run spots during the show that was deemed too politically incorrect? Not likely. After taking a strong stand against the show, it’s too late to go back even though the "Jersey Shore" audience is a core target market for each brand.
 
Sonic Drive-In, Schick Intuition, and First Response pregnancy kits are a handful of advertisers that have embraced the show. But the brand that have really benefitted are smaller advertisers that sync with the content of the show, including Bumpit hairpieces and 5-Hour Energy shots. The shows "characters" are known for their poofy hair and buff bodies. And just look at all the free advertising that designer Christian Audigier has received just from the cast favoring his clothes.

That’s worth its weight in gold, or some sort of Shore-worthy bling.