\n\tProcter & Gamble\u2019s newest soap opera doesn\u2019t look anything like the sudsy dramas it has produced in the past.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe consumer-products giant behind household staples like Tide, Crest and Pampers has been entwined with daytime serials for nearly a century, helping to produce radio dramas like \u201cThe Guiding Light\u201d; daytime TV mainstays including \u201cAs the World Turns\u201d; and a recent revival of the format called \u201cBeyond the Gates\u201d that airs on CBS.<\/a> Now the company hopes to reach digitally savvy consumers with an intriguing twist on the old formula.<\/p>\n \n\tIn January, P&G will launch \u201cThe Golden Pear Affair,\u201d a 50-episode \u201cmicrosoap\u201d that will be made available initially via social media and, later, a bespoke mobile app. The idea, say backers of the new program, is to reach people who are used to giving content a swipe on a mobile phone, rather than those who sit back and passively swoon in front of a more traditional screen.<\/p>\n \n\tWill fans of the original concept flock to new one? The bite-sized episodes \u201care serialized dramas. They are soapy and there are going to be some elements that are a little out there,\u201d says Anna Saalfeld, head of P&G Studios. But the new series \u2014 some people behind the scenes refer to it as a \u201cshort opera\u201d \u2014 is \u00a0\u201cdefinitely social-first. It is optimized for viewing on your screen. It is very snackable. There are key differentiators\u201d from old-school programs.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThe Golden Pear Affair\u201d is meant to highlight Procter\u2019s Native line of personal-care products. A new collection of \u201cGlobal Flavors\u201d products sport fragrances from around the world, and will likely get some nods during all the action in \u201cPear.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s got romance. It\u2019s certainly got adventure. And it\u2019s a lot of fun,\u201d says Geneva Wasserman, global executive vice president of entertainment IP strategy and investment at Dentsu<\/a>, the agency that has worked with Procter & Gamble on creating the series.<\/p>\n \n\tNative may have more room for such play. The brand was founded in 2015 with a commitment to clean formulae for its products. P&G acquired it in 2017 \u2014 a nod, perhaps, to the growing clout of start-up consumer brands such as Dollar Shave Club, Honest Co. or BodyArmor. Native is no Tide or Old Spice, which are instantly recognizable and potentially harder to slip into a piece of programming without distracting the viewer.<\/p>\n