Hulu Gets Wacky With Its Ad Packages

(MoneyWatch)  Like a lot of other people, I've become pretty fond of Hulu. Beyond a slick interface and streaming hi-def episodes of Arrested Development, I also like it because of its ability to get inventive with how it's selling its ad space. Witness, via ClickZ:

Under an upcoming Honda sponsorship of Hulu, ads for the car maker's 2008 Pilot SUV will appear on a page compiling the pilot episodes from all shows available on the premium video site.

Which is a nice move, but even more impressive is their upcoming Ad Selector feature.

According to its advertising SVP, Jean-Paul Colaco, the News Corp. and NBC Universal joint venture has also signed its first official advertiser to a program called Ad Selector that lets users choose the brands whose spots they'd prefer to see. Alberto Culver, a purveyor of home and cosmetics products, will eventually be joined by other brands in the Ad Selector program.

It's smart move for Hulu, allowing consumers to reduce the already low pain point of watching commercials, though whether it's a winner for brands remainds to be seen. Pity the poor brand that no one wants.

Hulu also released numbers today showing it at the top of the heap for online television sites, showing the site with 63 million users that spend on average two hours a month watching video. Its nearest competitor, ABC.com, comes close with 60 million viewers, but those eyes are only watching an average of one hour of video of month.