Dive Brief:
- Coca-Cola says it will not return as a sponsor for the 14th season of "American Idol."
- The soft drink company has been the largest and most visible of the show's sponsors. For more than a decade, large branded glasses of Coca-Cola products have adorned the tables where the show's judges sit.
- Ad spending on the show has fallen substantially as ratings for the show have declined.
Dive Insight:
Well, so ends one of the greatest ad placement deals in marketing history. Coke managed to do with "American Idol" what not many other brands can say they've done with any other show: successfully brand a product as part of a cultural phenomenon, rather than just an advertiser.
It was a deal that, like the success of the show itself, was probably too good to last. "American Idol" won't be the same without Coke. And television won't be the same without "American Idol," and the show seems certain to disappear fairly soon.
But that's show biz, kids.