Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012
The reality series that featured a behind-the-scenes look of Marie Claire Magazine has been found in breach of the broadcasting code after putting a product placement for a new mascara.
The series, titled Running in Heels, had a product placement deal with Maybelline to showcase the brand?s latest Lash Stiletto mascara.
The Guardian reports: ?E! Entertainment, the licensee for the Style Network in the UK, said it had not received any payment itself and that the episode was reviewed by its British compliance agent before broadcast and no concerns were raised.?
The show follows the story of three interns who work for Marie Claire Magazine US.
The Guardian narrates the product placement scene: ?In the offending 23-second sequence, broadcast on 19 May, one of the interns produces three mascaras and says they are "the new Maybelline mascara", to which one of the other interns adds ?Lash Stiletto?. The mascara appeared in a close-up shot with the packaging and the name of the mascara clearly visible and was followed by a medium close-up shot of the item.?
The interns then try the mascara on themselves, after which they sang nothing but praises for the product.
?The series takes place entirely in the world of fashion and contains numerous references to fashion brands,? said the Style Network in a statement addressed to Ofcom. ?The reference to a new brand of mascara and a sequence where the protagonists try out make-up while getting ready for a night out did not appear out of place in such a format.?
After viewing the episode, E! Entertainment decided to edit out the close-up shot of the Maybelline mascara.
Ofcom said that the statements of the intern sounded like a promotion and the undue prominence of the mascara was exacerbated by the storyline that was crafted around the product.
