Due: 3-20-09
One inconspicuous way that advertisers try to convince (step 4: conviction) us to buy their product is by placing it in the TV shows and movies that we watch.
Every time that you see a name-brand product on TV or in the movies, you can safely assume that the company paid for that well-placed, subtle advertisement. The prime-time comedy 30 Rock goes so far as to mock their own need for this type of ad revenue, as can be seen in the embedded clip from the show's first season.
Scott Leith, of the The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, posed this thought in 2000:
At one time, it seemed positively unusual to spot real products in the movies. But along came 1982's "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" and an accidental star: Reese's Pieces candy. That watershed event helped turn product placement into a business. ...
The question is how well placement works, especially in an age when much of the audience is downright cynical about advertising.
What do you think? Discuss product placement in TV shows and movies as an effective/ineffective means of advertising, especially to teenagers.
