Proctor & Gamble is luring people to watch As The World Turns and Guiding Light–two shows it produces–with a promotion called Daytime Dollars. Viewers register online and get a code. Winning numbers are delivered the next day on the show. The promotion runs March 13 – Sept. 29, 2006.
DaytimeDollars.com is the latest in a long line of daytime drama innovations for Proctor & Gamble Productions, which often is credited for introducing the “soap opera” style of provocative story telling. Beginning with one of America’s first daily dramatic serials, Oxydol’s Own Ma Perkins in 1933, PGP’s programs have encouraged audience loyalty and dedication to the products sponsoring the show. For PGP, the successful teaming of Procter & Gamble soap products with its serial dramas created the “soap opera” genre.
PGP originally premiered Guiding Light as a 15-minute radio serial in 1937, before moving it to CBS television in 1952. It is the only radio-to-television drama still in production. The show is the longest running TV drama ever, with (more than 14,800 episodes to its credit.
Last year, Guiding Light became the first television program to podcast entire audio episodes available for download from cbs.com/netcast and iTunes.com. Today, As The World Turns episodes also are available for podcast download.