Final+Project


 * __ Introduction __**

Product placement has become popular in all types of television shows. This includes talk, reality, news, and sitcom. **Product placement** involves __placing a product within a show/program, making it visible to the viewers__. Advertisers do this in order to **promote their products** and **attract new buyers**.


 * Advertisers pay networks and/or programs** to place their products as props, usually where they can be easily seen and recognized. Products are usually placed in television programs that match the **products image or desired image**.

The purpose of this project is to **promote awareness and change in audiences** and to teach them how to recognize product placements. They must also learn how to recognize a program that is trying to promote a product, and be able to identify the **tactics** they are using. Once viewers are exposed to examples of product placements, and see how they are being done, it will be easier to recognize them, making their effectiveness practically useless.

**__Methods and Examples of Product Placement__** Product placements can be done __two ways__. It can be done **subtlety** and **extremely**. **Subtle product placement** involves __using brand name products in a way that reflects/suits the atmosphere, and does not dominate its surroundings__. A network sales executive agrees that “product placements need to be subtle and well matched: screaming advertisements could cause viewers to flee”. An __example__ of this is seen in the picture below, taken from the television show “The Office.”

__//The Office - HP computer//__

Notice how the HP computer, is in the scene, but does not “dominate” the other props. In terms of the scene, the viewer may or may not be able to see the logo, depending on the camera shot and how long it is to be exposed. Notice how the computer monitor is angled, allowing the HP logo to be recognized, but not the main focus of the scene. This is a perfect example of a subtle product placement because it allows the product to be a part of the atmosphere/set, without paying too much attention to it.


 * Extreme product placement** involves __using brand name products within an atmosphere/set in such a way, that the product is emphasised a great deal__. An __example__ of this is seen in the picture below, taken from the reality show “American Idol.”

__//American Idol - Coca-Cola//__.

All three judges are posing for the camera, suggesting that the photo was planned, and not candid. The Coca-Cola cup is practically in the centre of the table, making the brand name easily recognizable. It is difficult to determine what the main focus is in this image. There are three judges with only one cup (and one straw) of coke on the table. The red cup contrasts well with the judges’ clothing and background, making the cup and the brand name easily recognizable.

Another __example__ of an extreme type of product placement can be seen in the video below, “KR: KITT to 4x4 Mode.”

media type="youtube" key="pZ1MO6UiCmk" height="295" width="480" __//Knight Rider - KITT to 4x4 Mode//__.

During most of the video, everything appears to be “normal”, expect for when KITT turns into “4x4 Mode.” As the camera circles the exterior of the vehicle, one can see the Ford logo. Not only is the logo clearly visible, but the camera then zooms onto the logo, emphasizing it even more. When watching the video, one can obviously tell that special effects were used to create the “transformation.” The Ford logo could have been replaced with a fictional brand name or no brand name at all. This shows that the **logo is being deliberately emphasised**, since any SUV manufacturer’s logo (or none at all) could have been chosen for the scene.

__ **“Behind the Scenes” of Product Placement** __

People may think that product placements may be coincidental, or that in order to make a show more realistic, real products/brands must be used. That is not entirely true. According to CBS, “__a handful of its scripted shows are slated for product integration__”. This shows that **product placements do not happen by chance**, but rather, they are well **planned out with advertisers**. It seems as if __television programs are specifically written in order to accommodate product placements__, instead of the other way around. These types of acts are seen on other networks as well, such as Warner Brother, which “has established __‘preferred partnership’ program advertisers soul product placement rights”__. This demonstrates how the network establishes agreements with advertisers so that only that advertiser’s products can be mentioned or seen.

According to Abruzzese, “who engineered product placement on Survivor when he headed CBS’s ad sales, [he] warns that shows with poorly placed products ‘get overexposed and watered down and can become offensive to the viewers’”. This shows that product placement must be planned and well thought-out in order for it to be effective. If products were continually shown, audiences would eventually notice the abundance of brand names, making **the show no different then a commercial**. This is why **product placements are “scientifically” placed at appropriate times**, maximizing it effectiveness.

**__Regulations and Product Placement__** The effects of product placements are so powerful that regulations have emerged. One regulation imposed by the FCC **restricts advertising in children’s programming** “in terms of time and placement”. This means that advertisements within children’s programs are regulated and controlled, **so advertisers cannot take advantage** of their “developing minds.”

In addition to this, “__host selling or the inclusion of ads featuring a character who appears on a program is also prohibited__”. This can be said to be a reversal of product placement. A character, seen on a child’s program, is used to create product popularity. This would be equivalent to a **celebrity endorsing a product**. However, because children are vulnerable, developing mentally, and would want to imitate their favourite television characters as much as they can, restrictions for this type of advertising is necessary.

Although not many product placement regulations have been established, many advocate groups have been trying to pressure governments in order to implement them. It has been said that product placement “is **deceptive** because it **flies under the viewer’s skeptical radar**…imagery and script write-ins can also be subtle…that **viewers fail to identify them as a veiled commercial**”. This shows that some viewers are concerned about the product placement **tactics being used**, and would like restrictions to be implemented. The quote enforces the fact that **product placements are mostly directed to a person’s subconscious**, without having them think about what they had just seen. It also demonstrates that many people feel the same way about product placement, how they do not agree with the tactics being used, and how they are determined to do something about it.

**__Statistics__** Product placement is difficult to measure in terms of its value. Therefore, only an **estimated vale can be speculated**. It has been estimated that “15% of [‘brand mentions’] are some form of product placement [and]…if that 15% were converted into current ad values, it would equal a **$9 billion marketplace**”. This shows that product placements, sometimes free for advertisers, **are valuable and can make a significant difference to audience viewers**. This demonstrates that product placements can benefit a company tremendously, especially if they do not have to pay for their product(s) to be shown.

In the year 2007, it was forecasted that the **product placement industry grew 33.9%** by the end of that year. This shows a rise in the practice of product placement, and the foreseen possibility of it continuing to grow over the years. This has also been seen “within the past several years, [how] **television product integration has accounted for 71.4 percent of global brand marketing placement**”. This shows that if regulations are not set in controlling product placement, **advertisers will continue to take advantage of television viewers**, and television programs would be nothing but thirty to one hour long commercials.

__**Conclusion**__ In conclusion, one has seen the concerns facing product placements within television programs. The use of product placement is to **benefit advertisers/companies**, by **promoting products indirectly**, and **increasing sales and revenue**. We have seen the types of product placements used, how it is encouraged by television networks, the demand for regulation, and some statistics showing how powerful this advertising tool really is. **Having the ability to recognize product placements** will prevent viewers from being “pulled” into the product(s), and help them realize how they are trying to be **manipulated**. Product placements must have its limitations by having **regulations** set in place.

The next time you see a real product on television, ask yourself, why is it there? Is it being emphasized? Why did they choose that particular product? __No product is randomly placed within any television show__. Every product is there for a reason. What will //your// reason be for buying them?

// **__Additional Examples of Product Placements__** //

media type="youtube" key="d36wUmJGzvA" height="364" width="445" __//30 Rock - Verizon//__.

//__House - Macintosh Computers__.//

__//Heroes - iPod//__.

__//Stephen Colbert - Doritos//__

__//WVVC FOX - McDonald's Coffee//__


 * __ References __**