Product Placement in TV shows -The NEW commercial (1 Viewer)

[MarkHastings]

I know there's been all this talk about product placement in TV shows (due to people no longer watching commercials), but I was watching "The Loop" last night (for the first time) and came across something interesting.

There was the scene where the girl (I don't know her name) was looking at herself in the mirror and says "I love this Old Navy skirt" and there's this "Cha-Ching" noise.

Then, when they went to commercial, they showed an Old Navy ad. Was that a spoof on this new technique, or is this a reality of things to come?????

If so, it TOTALLY threw me out of the episode. I didn't like it at all.

All I kept thinking of is, If they're going to start this crap, they better get rid of commercials altogether because it's bad enough that we have commercial breaks, now we have to endure commercials in the programming as well (along with promos and stations bugs).

WTF????

 

[Paul McElligott]

Sounds like a spoof to me. You're right about product placement though. That's how the NCIS crew was driving the new Dodge Chargers before we could buy them and why the CSI people drive fancy SUV's when the real-life CSI techs drive beat-up minivans.

 

[MikeFR]

I see products around me all the time in real life, it doesn't really bother me when I see them in movies and tv shows.

As for The Loop, that was obviously a parody, but it was likely also a paid ad.

 

[Patrick Sun]

And it's why I enjoy "The Loop" so much, nothing is sacred on that show.

 

[MarkHastings]

Yeah, most likely a Paid-Parody of things to come.When I watch Home Makeover, I don't mind seeing them going to Sears because that's what the show is all about, but as long as they don't obviously point out things (like in The Loop), then I guess I'm ok with it.

 

[Carl_G]

Yeah, it's getting real bad.

Have you seen all of those placements for Dharma products on Lost?

 

[Greg.K]

Dang, Carl, you beat me to it.

 

[Greg_S_H]

They've had two major instances of this on Smallville this season. First, they had a contest to give away a Ford Focus, and they made listing the features of the car part of the plot. Lois wanted to distract a guard, so she started describing the features in detail. Second, they had a contest sponsored by Accuvue contact lenses, and there was a scene where the girl pulled out a box of them, prominently displayed them, and gave a pitch about how great they work.

 

[Greg.K]

I'm suddenly glad I don't watch Smallville. That sounds almost Truman Show bad.

 

[Eddy-C]

The AOL ad all over this week's Smallville was totally unbearable.

 

[Patrick Sun]

They did this on Alias a few seasons ago in pimping Ford products.

 

[Scott Thomas]

Or in Arrested Development when Tobias is talking about Burger King

 

[Chad R]

The worst placement on Smallville was last season when Old Spice Red Zone sponsored a smalltown high school football game. They had ads up at the game. How often does major corporations sponsor High School football games?

The Accuvue was the worst this season because Chloe actually said the line, "Accuvue to the rescue."

It's getting harder and harder to be a Supes fan these days...

 

[MarkHastings]

Man, that Smallville crap sounds horrendous!

So let me get this straight...The studios are worried that people aren't watching commercials due to DVR's, so they put the ads into the show, but then people stop watching the show altogether...


Hmmm? Is it ironic that I JUST posted this message in the SONY CD copyright thread? It sounds like the same thing. The studios not only have driven me away from watching commercials, but now they're going to drive me away from tv shows entirely.

Swift move, A-Holes!!!

 

[Greg_S_H]

Same thing is happening with computer games. When I install a game and it leads me to having to reinstall Windows because of their damn protection, that just means I won't be buying any further games with said protection.