Comments on: Product Placement and the Question of Trust http://www.thirdwayblog.com/post-types/commentary/product-placement-and-the-question-of-trust.html Straight Talk on Advertising from the Client Side Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:51:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Tom Hudson http://www.thirdwayblog.com/post-types/commentary/product-placement-and-the-question-of-trust.html#comment-34906 Mon, 09 Apr 2007 01:44:41 +0000 http://www.thirdwayblog.com/post-types/commentary/product-placement-and-the-question-of-trust.html#comment-34906 I've noticed a lot of conspicuous product placement in NUMB3RS. Since I download them on my Xbox 360, I watch them commercial-free, so I don't have the "benefit" of seeing the corresponding paid advertising to make the correlations you mentioned in your commentary entry. One that I've seen quite a bit is the conspicuous featuring of Megan's Acura. In one episode during Season 2, she inputs an address into the integrated navigation system. In the episode's credits, I noticed that they mentioned that the episode was sponsored in part by Acura. At the time, I thought it was pretty cool. Subtle, effective, honest. A few episodes later, Agent Granger says to Megan of a newly acquired suspect address: "Put THAT into the fancy nav system in your Acura." Not so subtle anymore. As a matter of fact, pretty darn distracting. And I have to agree that it reduces the effectiveness of the placement. Which is unfortunate, since I happen to be a big fan of Acura Motors. My dad drives one, and I especially like the itnegrated navigation system. I can imagine in real life someone saying EXACTLY that phrase, especially if the Acura were relatively new, and the nav system were a bragging point that MEgan brought up frequently (and recently). But conversations of that nature, while realistic, aren't usually featured in 41-minute crime dramas. I'm watching the most recent episode right now, "Pandora's Box." Amita tells Charlie that she never used to lock her college dorm room until one day, someone walked right in and stole afossil watch right off her desk. Again, I'm a huge fan of Fossil watches. If I were talking to someone who knows this about me, I might mention the brand. Or, if the brand of watch were really expensive; Fossil watches are great, but Rolex or Movado they ain't. Otherwise, generally speaking, mentioning the specific brand in this context is so unnatural, that I had to stop the show and come and look for other mentioning of product placement in NUMB3RS. If anyone who writes for or otherwise is involved in the preproduction of this show, please note: your audience notices these clumsy placements. If you feature a product in a positive and noticeable way without practically screaming the brand name, then I say "good job". When you name drop such that the obvious subtext is "LISTEN TO OUR BRAND NAME: YOU BETTER NOTICE, OR WE OVERPAID", then I have to blame very bad writing or a very bad advertising contract. Either way, I'm taken right out of the story, and the brand you're supposed to be helping drops a few notches in my respectometer. My own Fossil watch (which has tremendous sentimental value) was damaged recently. I was going to replace it with another Fossil watch. Now I'm not so sure. I like the show and want to keep watching it. How do I respect myself, keep watching the show, AND buy a product so clumsily placed? I’ve noticed a lot of conspicuous product placement in NUMB3RS. Since I download them on my Xbox 360, I watch them commercial-free, so I don’t have the “benefit” of seeing the corresponding paid advertising to make the correlations you mentioned in your commentary entry.

One that I’ve seen quite a bit is the conspicuous featuring of Megan’s Acura. In one episode during Season 2, she inputs an address into the integrated navigation system. In the episode’s credits, I noticed that they mentioned that the episode was sponsored in part by Acura. At the time, I thought it was pretty cool. Subtle, effective, honest. A few episodes later, Agent Granger says to Megan of a newly acquired suspect address: “Put THAT into the fancy nav system in your Acura.” Not so subtle anymore. As a matter of fact, pretty darn distracting. And I have to agree that it reduces the effectiveness of the placement. Which is unfortunate, since I happen to be a big fan of Acura Motors. My dad drives one, and I especially like the itnegrated navigation system. I can imagine in real life someone saying EXACTLY that phrase, especially if the Acura were relatively new, and the nav system were a bragging point that MEgan brought up frequently (and recently). But conversations of that nature, while realistic, aren’t usually featured in 41-minute crime dramas.

I’m watching the most recent episode right now, “Pandora’s Box.” Amita tells Charlie that she never used to lock her college dorm room until one day, someone walked right in and stole afossil watch right off her desk. Again, I’m a huge fan of Fossil watches. If I were talking to someone who knows this about me, I might mention the brand. Or, if the brand of watch were really expensive; Fossil watches are great, but Rolex or Movado they ain’t. Otherwise, generally speaking, mentioning the specific brand in this context is so unnatural, that I had to stop the show and come and look for other mentioning of product placement in NUMB3RS.

If anyone who writes for or otherwise is involved in the preproduction of this show, please note: your audience notices these clumsy placements. If you feature a product in a positive and noticeable way without practically screaming the brand name, then I say “good job”. When you name drop such that the obvious subtext is “LISTEN TO OUR BRAND NAME: YOU BETTER NOTICE, OR WE OVERPAID”, then I have to blame very bad writing or a very bad advertising contract. Either way, I’m taken right out of the story, and the brand you’re supposed to be helping drops a few notches in my respectometer.

My own Fossil watch (which has tremendous sentimental value) was damaged recently. I was going to replace it with another Fossil watch. Now I’m not so sure. I like the show and want to keep watching it. How do I respect myself, keep watching the show, AND buy a product so clumsily placed?

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