The YouTube soap Lonelygirl15 has turned to product placement as the show’s creators search for ways to raise money and keep the web programme going.

The show first aired on YouTube last autumn as a true-life diary and retained its popularity when the low-budget videos were revealed to be a scripted series created by three friends and starring Jessica Lee Rose, a 19-year-old actress.

In last week’s episode, the three friends take a break from dodging the mysterious evil group called The Order to enjoy a few pieces of Ice Breakers Sours Gum.

The creators have been searching for ways to raise money to keep the production going. They have requested donations from fans and have added static adverts to the end of each episode, with the proceeds being split with the website that now hosts the videos.

As the audience for web-based entertainment has grown, advertisers have been keen to spend more money on the medium in the hope of reaching younger viewers, who now send less time watching TV.

“The goal was to raise awareness of the brand among our target consumers,” Kirk Saville, a spokesman for Hershey, which makes Ice Breakers, said. “It already has generated substantial interest on the LG15 site and blogs worldwide.”

One challenge for both video makers and advertisers is that the young, hip audience they seek to reach is highly sensitive to commercial messages.

“I think any podcast or mobisode that regularly includes product placement is likely to lose significant amounts of credibility,” Josh Bernoff of Forrester Research said. “The product placement on television is very subtle and that’s very hard to do.”

Lonelygirl15’s creators were initially concerned that viewers might rebel, and consulted with fans before signing the deal.

“When we realised we were going to do it, we went on the forum and said a candy company approached us and wants to do an integration,” Greg Goodfried, a co-creator, said. “We told them Bree and Daniel will eat it, but we also said we’re not going to do it if it pisses you off.”

Of the 200 people who responded, 90 percent approved, Mr Goodfried said. Remarks posted online after the episode aired also ran mostly in favor.

Neither Hershey nor the creators of Lonelygirl15 would discuss the financial terms of the deal.

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