Sometimes reality is the best marketing

I have to admit that (shockingly) I'm not a huge fan of MTV. While watching the occasional Jersey shore-er fist pump the night away isn't exactly my cup of tea, I try to stay up on "what the kids are up to now-a-day". One of the shows that caught my eye the other day was "16 and pregnant"

What I find really interesting about the show (and its sister show 'teen mom') is that in its own weird - slightly exploitative - sort of way it's a form of cause marketing. So much so, that some organizations have taken to actively encouraging teens to watch it and have created discussion guides around it (http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/16-and-preg-discussion-guide.pdf)

In a way, it's almost as if nonprofits have co-opted something that clearly was only designed to make money and capitalize on our societal voyeurism (I choose to believe it is voyeurism and not schadenfreude) and instead use it as high quality marketing for their cause. I personally think that that's the essence of good cause marketing. It should first look at the population you are trying to change, think about their interest, and then authentically match your cause to their interests.

I wonder what other materials are out there are just waiting for co-opting? Does the apprentice teach the value of education? Does inception teach the virtues of science and math? probably not, but could it? Probably so. Maybe there's a space for cause placement in movies and TV shows the same way that there is product placement? I mean, nonprofits copy other ideas from the for-profit sector. Why not this one?