Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy

In The New York Times, Brooke Barnes looks forward to the launch of a new online venture from Seth MacFarlane, creator of Family Guy, an animated variety show that will be distributed solely through Google.

The Internet giant will syndicate the new program using its AdSense advertising system to thousands of Web sites that are predetermined to be gathering spots for Mr. MacFarlane’s target audience, typically young men. Instead of placing a static ad on a Web page, Google will place a “Cavalcade” video clip. YouTube will also devote a channel to the material.

Marketing messages will be incorporated into the clips largely through “preroll” ads, but Burger King took its involvement a step further. In a rare example of one of Hollywood’s top creative powers working hand-in-glove with a marketer, Mr. MacFarlane created and animated Burger King ads to play ahead of “Cavalcade” clips.