The almighty advertising dollar… How much is it really worth to mainstream companies? Well, according to this News.com article (“Blue-chip ads, red-light content“), advertisements for the new MacBook Pro, AT&T’s broadband service, Cisco, Dish Network, Verizon Wireless, Circuit City, and Monster.com are appearing next to racy and extreme user-submitted content on popular sites, such as iFilm, VidiLife.com, and eBaum’s World.

“Seeing ads from blue-chip companies such as Apple and AT&T next to sexually charged or graphically violent videos may be shocking to parents and corporate marketing departments, but it should hardly come as a surprise. The growing popularity of sites that rely on user-generated content–from blogs to podcasts to homemade video clips–and the continuing embrace of the Web by Fortune 500 advertisers almost ensures that such a collision would occur.”

Check out the photo gallery: Blue-chip ads, racy content.

“Clearly, mainstream companies are unlikely to want to see their ads next to questionable content. But it can happen when they or their ad buyers participate in networks in which they target a specific demographic… While some companies will try to steer clear of Web sites with mature and extreme content, others will seek them out.”

After reading this article, I decided to stop by a few of these racy sites – you know, purely for research purposes. Despite my efforts, I wasn’t able to find any of these ads. Maybe now that the cat is out of the bag, these companies are adjusting their advertising strategies accordingly. However, I’ll keep looking… if I find any, I’ll be sure to post it/them in this blog’s comments. I love my job!!