A Classification of Branded Entertainment Based on Psychological Levels of Processing

1. Introduction

The existence of the mass media was crucial for the classification of advertising during the XXth century. During its first decades, the largest investment was directed to conventional advertising, Above The Line, included in the mass media (TV, newspapers, radio, etc.). Gradually, throughout the twentieth century, was growing investment in non-conventional media, Below The Line (telephone marketing, promotions, sponsorships, handbills, etc..). In the late twentieth century, investment in both was balanced and, currently, investment in BTL exceeds investment in ATL (Infoadex, 2014). A third type of advertising investment, the Off-The-Line advertising has been marginal during the twentieth century (López y Torres, 2007).

In the XXI century earlier forms of advertising continue to exist but now coexist with new ones. This has led to a proliferation and diversification of ways of relating to the consumer. The Off The Line advertising investment begins to be significant now in the XXI century. But this change in the distribution of advertising investment is not the most significant change at present. In recent years the process of differentiation and integration advertising has continued to advance. Have appeared and are appearing, new forms of advertising that coexist with those that existed in the twentieth century, which in turn are transforming themselves (Bermejo, 2013 a). To all of this the new forms of relationship are added. What's really changing is the concept of message itself and the type of relationship established with the users of advertising. It is therefore not from the perspective of the media we need understand advertising today but rather from the forms of relationship is established with the people and what are asked to do. Thus, the XXI century brings renewed strategies of persuasion. On this basis, at present, there are two major types of advertising that can be called Direct or Interpellates Advertising, and Indirect or Masked Advertising.