Telemundo and Clorox team up in ‘Dame Chocolate’.

The Clorox Company has teamed up with Telemundo on the network’s upcoming telenovela “Dame Chocolate” (“Give Me Chocolate”). The original production out of Telemundo Studios in Miami, Fla. is set to air in early March and features the return of actor and singer/songwriter Carlos Ponce to the small screen.

The production is the first venture by Clorox into branded entertainment in the Hispanic market. The multiyear partnership begins with “Dame Chocolate” in the U.S. market and includes international syndication in several countries around the world, along with discussions about future sponsorships.

“Telenovelas are truly a global phenomenon,” said Derek Gordon, Clorox vice president and chief marketing officer. “Viewers form a deep, intense relationship with the shows, making the entire genre the right opportunity to connect our brands with consumers in a way that goes beyond traditional advertising, beyond passive product placement-and beyond the U.S. general market.”

“As producers of our own content, we are in a unique position to harness and influence pop culture on behalf of our partners,” said Steve Mandala, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, Telemundo and NBC Universal Networks. “We provide a special integration capability that allows partners to bring their marketing objectives to life both here in the U.S. and abroad.”

Although the Clorox advertising agency for Argentina, DDB Argentina, along with FiRe Advertainment, worked on bringing Clorox and Telemundo together, the goal of everyone involved was to produce a classic telenovela, not an ad.

“The use of our products in the show has to feel genuine,” said Clorox’s Gordon. “To approach the audience directly with a marketing message would miss the entire point”

Among The Clorox Company products to be included in the story line are: Clorox bleach and Clorox disinfecting wipes, along with Pine-Sol cleaner, Kingsford charcoal and Glad® trash bags and food-storage bags in the U.S; and Poett, Mistolín and Ayudín cleaners in Latin America.

“Dame Chocolate” will follow the adventures of a young girl caught between two irresistible forces: love and chocolate. When her grandfather -The Chocolate King- dies, she learns she is the only one left with the secret to the chocolate recipe that earned him his empire and his millions.

“In only three years, Telemundo has grown to be one of the most recognized brands in the Spanish-language TV industry around the world,” said Marcos Santana, president, Telemundo Internacional. “We match great storytelling with a one-of-a kind opportunity for our clients and partners to grow with us.”

The team for “Dame Chocolate” also included Michael Costello, vice president, Marketing, Clorox International; Tony Gerst, vice president, Clorox multicultural division; Ellen Liu, media buying manager at Clorox U.S; and Naghmeh Vahdat, marketing manager, Clorox-Chile; Rodrigo Figueroa Reyes At FiRe Advertainment; Marcia Lorente, DDB/San Francisco; and Sarah Oitzenger at Dieste, Harmel & Partners.

In addition to Carlos Ponce, “Dame Chocolate’s” cast includes Génesis Rodríguez, María Antonieta de las Nieves, Héctor Suárez, Kristina Lilley, Khotán, Ricardo Chávez, and Karla Monroig, among others. The novela will be directed by Luis Manzo (Tierra de Pasiones). General Producer, Jairo Arcila. Executive Producer and Creative Director, Aurelio Valcarcel.