Blatant product placement in exchange for fewer commercial breaks

[maczero]

Would you put up with characters pimping products and services during the show if it meant less commercials?

[The Batman]

Commercial breaks don't bother me nearly as much as stories being blatantly catered to the sponsors so I guess I wouldn't.

[4thHorseman]

I wouldn't too much as long as it wasn't so blatant like the character turning to the audience and saying how much they love ________.

I just hate that a 1/3 of a show is commercials.

[Omega Alpha]

If it fits the story, I would prefer blatant product placement. For example: instead of 30 seconds or more of Pepsi commercials, a character drinks a Pepsi when he's thirsty and the story continues. However, if he has to say that Pepsi is the best thing ever, then I'd rather continue with commercial breaks.

[Black Atom]

I guess it depends on how blatant. The placement of the Nissan Rogue in HEROES, for example, wasn't really awful, even though they said "Nissan Rogue" an implausible amount of times ("Okay, honey, you can drive the Nissan Rogue..." "Really, dad! The Nissan Rogue, sweet!" "WHAT? The Nissan Rogue got stolen!?")

OTOH I stopped watching Smallville altogether because they had an episode that revolved around REM sleep, which they kept referring to as "Arr Eee Em Sleep" (which no one in real life ever says). I later noticed all the songs for that episode were R.E.M. songs. Fuck you, Smallville.

[maczero]

I guess it depends on how blatant. The placement of the Nissan Rogue in HEROES, for example, wasn't really awful, even though they said "Nissan Rogue" an implausible amount of times ("Okay, honey, you can drive the Nissan Rogue..." "Really, dad! The Nissan Rogue, sweet!" "WHAT? The Nissan Rogue got stolen!?")

OTOH I stopped watching Smallville altogether because they had an episode that revolved around REM sleep, which they kept referring to as "Arr Eee Em Sleep" (which no one in real life ever says). I later noticed all the songs for that episode were R.E.M. songs. Fuck you, Smallville.Ha! Actually, Smallville and Heroes were two shows that came to mind when I posted this thread. I remember an ep of Smallville where the Ford Focus had more screen-time than Chloe.

[DDM]

I wouldn't mind a washing soap product placement as long as the whole cast was in a washing machine with the power on. The whole episode can take place in a washing machine....

[Jared]

OTOH I stopped watching Smallville altogether because they had an episode that revolved around REM sleep, which they kept referring to as "Arr Eee Em Sleep" (which no one in real life ever says). I later noticed all the songs for that episode were R.E.M. songs. Fuck you, Smallville.

Was that really product placement, or just the writers thinking that they were clever? I would think that Smallville's audience show isn't really in R.E.M.'s demographic these days.


I can't recall if they did it last year, but I've noticed in prior seasons of 24, every single vehicle would be a Ford. Agents, terrorists, civilians, everybody drives a Ford.

[MaxofSteel]

I feel like product placement and commercial breaks both annoy me equally. On the one hand, I can't stand having to sit through agitatingly repetitive TV ads selling shit I'll never buy. On the other hand, it also bugs me when shows or movies go out of their way to esure that "X" logo is put into a shot when it has no bearing on the story at hand whatsoever.

I suppose that with Tivo though, it's just a simple matter of recording an episode, then fast forwarding through all the commercials. In that case I prefer commercials over product placement.

[Omega Alpha]

I can't recall if they did it last year, but I've noticed in prior seasons of 24, every single vehicle would be a Ford. Agents, terrorists, civilians, everybody drives a Ford.

I've noticed it in one of the earlier seasons too. And this the kind of product placement that doesn't botter me. Is pretty obvious advertisement, but it doesn't affect the story at all and the character don't go out of their way just to promote said product. They were all going to drive anyway, so why not making it a Ford?

[Tobias March]

My absolute favourite.

30 Rock does Verizon a solid (http://youtube.com/watch?v=d36wUmJGzvA)

[the goddamn batman]

I'd rather have commecricals. They don't end up on the DVD.

[MaxofSteel]

I'd rather have commecricals. They don't end up on the DVD.

That's another good point about commercials too.

[Sabrina_Fried]

I'd rather have commercials. Product placements have a way of taking over a show like an evil alien spore until the show BECOMES a commercial.

And, as others have said, commercials don't show up on the DVD. Except of course for the commercials that many places like Comedy Central are starting to put on their DVDs.

Sabrina

[Michael P]

I can't recall if they did it last year, but I've noticed in prior seasons of 24, every single vehicle would be a Ford. Agents, terrorists, civilians, everybody drives a Ford.

Great, now I've got this idea in my head:

A city street, beside a cafe. A man drives a Ford up to a parking meter, gets out, and leaves without paying. As a traffic cop starts to write him a ticket, the car explodes.

Cut to black. Play "Have you driven a Ford lately" jingle.

[DDM]

Mutant Calgon consumes a city in suds. Everyone ends up saying "CAlgon take me away!" And it does. Right into its stomach.

[Black Atom]

Was that really product placement, or just the writers thinking that they were clever? I would think that Smallville's audience show isn't really in R.E.M.'s demographic these days.


They also pimped the CD at the end of the show.

[BoosterBronze]

They also pimped the CD at the end of the show.

I'd still lean towards that was the writers thinking they were funny (I thought it was funny) and probably pimping the CD was part of the deal to use the songs. Legitamte classic hit songs are often more expensive to use compared to flavor-of-the-moment pop songs.

[IamtheRock3]

as long as it doesnt affect the story, I dont care about product placment

For instance pretty sure Office got a deal with Applebees, they MUST

but it not out of the question that the office would have an applebees near them and they go there out of pure laziness. A lot of offices got a go to place to eat.

But in the office where they HAD to have a scenes talking about a new shredder, and a commerical advertise that...well that was bad.

[Young Avenger]

When I saw this thread 7 Heaven came to mind. I remember one episode which revolved the whole family trading secret while eating Oreos. That whole episode was an hour long Oreo adverisement. I don't want shows to go down that road so I'll stick with commercials.

[JCAll]

Product placement in TV should go no further than asking if someone wants a Coke/Pepsi.

One Life to Live and General Hospital have been trying to hock V8 and Campbell's Soup for a month now and it's getting on my last damn nerve.

[Toku King]

Would you put up with characters pimping products and services during the show if it meant less commercials?

A thousand times yes.

[EZMOHR]

I loved on Guiding Light when Harley became Super Harley when Marvel gave them some cash.

[J Dog]

As bad as some commercials they'll get, they will be better than using products as plot points (the Nissan example in Heroes and R.E.M. in Smallville), and we all know that reality shows rely on product placement.

I do remember the scene from "Wayne's World" that made fun of the idea by throwing out various main-brand products just for the hell of it.

[Jared_Humpherys]

I prefer commercials. I have a DVR. Fast-forward.

[Shellhead]

I prefer commercials. I have a DVR. Fast-forward.

And that is exactly why we are probably going to get more blatant product placement. Same with movies, possibly even more so, because the same combination of consumer greed and modern technology poses an even bigger threat to movies than music. Take this upcoming Indiana Jones IV movie (please, take it!), would you be willing to watch a theatrical production version of it, live on stage with minimal stunt work and no special effects?

[Michael P]

As bad as some commercials they'll get, they will be better than using products as plot points (the Nissan example in Heroes and R.E.M. in Smallville), and we all know that reality shows rely on product placement.

I do remember the scene from "Wayne's World" that made fun of the idea by throwing out various main-brand products just for the hell of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7thSdlRhuM

[jade_nova]

My absolute favourite.

30 Rock does Verizon a solid (http://youtube.com/watch?v=d36wUmJGzvA)

The best part is when she turns to the camera and asks Verizon for money.

[Black Atom]

Remember the Cheerios commercial in the beginning of Superman the Movie? I say commercial because it goes beyond product placement--it's an extended shot of sunlight beaming into the kitchen of the Kent house and illuminating a box of Cheerios.

[Popgun]

I guess it depends on how blatant. The placement of the Nissan Rogue in HEROES, for example, wasn't really awful, even though they said "Nissan Rogue" an implausible amount of times ("Okay, honey, you can drive the Nissan Rogue..." "Really, dad! The Nissan Rogue, sweet!" "WHAT? The Nissan Rogue got stolen!?")

OTOH I stopped watching Smallville altogether because they had an episode that revolved around REM sleep, which they kept referring to as "Arr Eee Em Sleep" (which no one in real life ever says). I later noticed all the songs for that episode were R.E.M. songs. Fuck you, Smallville.


Heroes also has a thing going on with Dell - During the first season, whenever a sympathetic character was seen using a laptop (For instance, Matt's wife) the logo would be clearly visible. If the character was more morally questionable (Ted Sprague), the logo would be covered up with a strip of gaffer tape.

I also seem to recall a clunky scene in Season Two with Claire and her love interest huddled together listening to music on her prominently placed Motorolla phone.

None were quite as blatant and clumsy as the Nissan Versa and Rogue placements, however.

[Jared]

None were quite as blatant and clumsy as the Nissan Versa and Rogue placements, however.

Hiro name-dropping his "Nissan Versa!" every chance he got was just cringe-inducing.

One thing to consider is that we all know people in real life who have some brand-loyalties, if we don't have them ourselves. I doesn't strike me as odd to here a friend say that he hates a prefers a certain brand of soda, or had disdain for certain make of car...but if these conversations were translated to a movie, it would look like shilling.

With all the product placement, I'm still amazed when a character is at a bar and just orders a generic "beer". Just try that in real life, they'll look at you like you're crazy.