Friday, February 10th, 2012
Advertisers are finding a way into your television sets. And it?s no longer through commercials.
Seven years ago, nobody considered product placement for advertising and revenue generation. But that?s no longer the case today.
?Gossip Girl,? the renowned television show, recently kicked off its second season with a luxurious party scene in the Hamptons. At the party, Vitaminwater was served to the guests. Different varieties of the Coca-Cola-produced drink were mentioned in the dialogue throughout the episode.
In some instances, the drinks had as much screen time in a single episode as a guest actor or a recurring minor character, describes Brian Steinberg of Boston.com describes.
Advertisers have been more aggressive in product placement for the past years. Years ago, television networks were vigilant about product placement. They wanted institutional support before giving brands air time.
Now, media outlets are actually loosening restrictions to welcome more product placement and branded entertainment.
The condition of the economy has changed the playing field. It makes ?everything at least discussable,? said Peter Tortorici, president of WPP Group?s Group M Entertainment, a division that specializes in product placement and branded entertainment.
Tortorici says that the new willingness of television networks will create positive ideas for product placement. However, he warns, it will also lead to some mistakes.
Some product placements have already drawn criticism from bloggers and ad experts for being out-of-context.
In CW?s ?90210,? Dr. Pepper played an integral role in one episode. Characters went on a road trip and they vowed to drink nothing else but Dr. Pepper for the whole trip. On NBC?s ?Chuck,? Subway sandwiches had many appearances and even landed a tagline mention in the script.
Critics say that these product placements compromised creative integrity. The shows no longer stayed loyal to the script, and they looked like 30-minute commercial spots.
However, brands believe that this ad approach is necessary for a changing media market.
?As the media landscape continues to become more fragmented, we do believe it is necessary to find creative ways to reach consumers and maintain relevance,? explained Elena Zanolin, entertainment marketing manager at Dr. Pepper.
Product placement is rising due to the economic environment. The poor economic conditions raised a dependent relationship between advertisers and producers.
In the past, advertisers were the ones that were chasing producers and networks for product placements. Today, the tables have turned.
Television networks need the extra cash due to tightened finances. Getting additional funding from renowned brands is the best way to generate extra revenue. In the process, the advertiser and the producer get what they want.
Source: Boston Globe
