TVSquad

A CBS press release landed in my inbox today with this earth-shattering news: CBS's fall programming ads (20 total) will be featured exclusively in People's Sept. 22 issue.

From the release: "In a special arrangement with the magazine, CBS will be the exclusive broadcast advertiser in the issue, on stands Sept. 12." Of course, that's right before the launch of CBS's new fall lineup.

And it sounds like this might be a first. George Schweitzer, president of CBS Marketing Group says, "CBS has long valued its relationship with People, and we're elated that they worked with us to pull off this first-time strategy to be the sole broadcast advertiser in this well-timed issue." You know, whatever. Blah, blah, blah.

So why should we care? Honestly, I really don't. I just keep thinking, People? What, they couldn't come up with anything snappier? Like, I dunno ... maybe Entertainment Weekly? Vanity Fair? I guess with 43 million readers, they'll reach a lot of people in People.

And it does sound like they've put some thought into the marketing campaign. The ads will feature text that runs from one to the other. Some examples:

• Always Gets Lucky... (featuring Charlie Sheen, star of Two and a Half Men) leading into Never Gets Lucky (featuring Kyle Bornheimer, star of Worst Week)
• They Bend the Rules... (featuring NCIS cast members) leading into He Breaks Them (featuring Simon Baker, star of The Mentalist)
• Piece of Work... (featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, star of The New Adventures of Old Christine) leading into Work in Progress (featuring Jay Mohr, star of Gary Unmarried)
• One Great Show ... (featuring William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger, stars of CSI) leading into Leads to Another (featuring Rufus Sewel, star of Eleventh Hour)
• Looking for Lost Souls... (featuring Jennifer Love Hewitt, star of Ghost Whisperer) leading into Looking for Lost Soulmate (featuring Elizabeth Reaser, star of The Ex List)

Any thoughts on this fascinating news? I just hope the ads aren't better than the shows.