MassPerception.com

Great note over on Doc Searls Weblog regarding the imminent bloodbath on Madison Avenue.

Kind of makes sense in the age of TiVo and Pop-up blockers, the audience is rebelling against the marketers’ message. I’ve long thought (and vocalized) that product placement is the way for this issue to sort itself out. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not for commercials embedded in, and/or thinly disguised as programming; rather honest to goodness use and placement of products in everyday TV shows. If anything, it adds to the realism and believability of the storyline when you see products you use everyday in use by your favorite stars. It can actually create a bond between the audience and the character using the product.
How many people have noticed the huge number of Apple products that have found there way into mainstream TV shows? Apple products have cropped up on hit shows such as “24″, “House”, “Las Vegas”, “The Office” and “CSI: NY” . . . sure they look cool, but do you think they are there by accident? The Washington Post had an interesting article earlier this year on product placement.

Of course, no one wants to go back to the days of blatant Colgate and Geritol pitches worked into the evening news copy . . . but product placement could be good for the viewing public . . . recovering the 15-20 minutes of every programming hour currently dedicated to commercial advertising could allow for more in-depth, compelling and entertaining content for the viewing public (though it may expose reality TV for what it is . . . garbage).

tivo, advertising, television, product placement

This entry was posted on Monday, December 18th, 2006 at 11:24 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.