Product Placement in TV

[Lyta]

Recoil, I was thinking the exact same thing with those two shows ... Journeyman and Heroes. The Rouge one annoyed me even more since it seemed more obvious. Didn't she mention the Rouge again when it got stolen? Isn't it enough to say her car? Also, it just annoyed me that the Bennett's are supposed to be laying low and yet they have a nice fancy house, the kid gets a brand new car and the wife doesn't work and the dad is some lackey at a COPY store? Way to bring in the big bucks guy. You think someone would notice wouldn't you?

 

[hypatia]

Product placement (and advertising in general) annoys me so much that I'm actually less likely to buy their product later on. I can admire a well-constructed ad, but it almost never actually affects my purchasing.

There are a lot of famous commercials, which made a real impact with people, but the majority of people had no idea what they represented. LOL

Sorry to bring up a side thought, but...

I was delighted to see one of my favorite commercials is again being played on T.V. Not a remake or an update, the original commercial. It's a classic, and unlike some like the "Mean Joe Green" Coke commercial, it is not obviously dated. Some things just never change, I guess.

I am, of course, talking about the old (ancient?) commercial in the USA for "Discount Tire Company".

A calm, relaxed voice says in voiceover: "if you ever are unsatisfied with one of our tires, please feel free to bring it back".

The action you are viewing is an old lady. She has what looks like a permanant scowl on her face. She is rolling a tire up to the store.

She picks it up, swings it a bit to build up momentum, and then flings it through the glass window that says "Discount tire company".

The calm voiceover in the back says simply "Thank you.... Discount Tire Company".



A true classic.

 

[maneth]

Product placement is banned here too. I don't mind it as long as it's relatively subtle, as in the neon ads in Blade Runner, for example. I do hate in your face PP though.

 

[hypatia]

Blade Runner also had a point to make that was enhanced by the use of the Coca-Cola neon sign shining down on the huge city.

It was an effective way of showing the kind of society that story was set in. It set the stage perfectly.

Out of curiosity, would such a clever device be banned, or would it be judged a special case, somehow? I admit, I'd hate to see an artistic tool, that can be used well, taken away because some companies and moviemakers abuse it terribly.

I'd hope no one would ban or edit out that wonder scene from Blade Runner, however. Hell, good stories have a hard enough time getting told.