E! Shops at Kmart

Attention, E! News Live viewers: Cable network E! Entertainment Television and retailer Kmart Holdings Corp. are teaming up for a cross-promotion that will put the network's daily entertainment-news anchors in a new line of Kmart clothes.

In a first of its kind promotion for the network, E! News Live talent will also model the duds in an ad campaign breaking this week in fashion and entertainment publications.

In exchange for getting the talent appearances in the ads and for E! talent Alisha Davis, Giuliana Depandi , and Kristin Veitch wearing the Attention(R) line of clothes on the show during the fall, Kmart will include tune-in plugs for the program in the print ads and in signage in Kmart Stores.

The campaign extends through the end of the year.

Stephen Earley, VP, marketing solutions, E! Networks, would not put a value on the deal, beyond saying it was "tremendous." No money appears to be changing hands beyond Kmart's flight of on-air spots--Kmart is already a regular advertiser on the network. Kmart will not be running any ads specifically for the campaign.

Kmart struck a similar deal with Time Warner's WB Network last May, with the netlet putting the stars of some of its new series in clothing from Kmart's various proprietary brands in exchange for print ads, billboards, and in-store promos including on bags and show promos on TVs in the electronics department.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.