Product Placement

It's a debate which numerous TV execs have shared their thoughts on over the last few months, but what do you think of product placement on TV?

It's banned on TV in the EU, but widespread in America. Charles Allen, ITV boss, has pointed out that US shows like Desperate Housewives and Lost incorporate them with no problem, while ITV can screen a product placement filled film like James Bond, but can't sneak anything into Coronation Street.


Personally - as for US shows I can't really say I've ever noticed it. The only thing that stands out is the Coca-Cola glasses on the judges table in American Idol - but that's only because ITV blurred them out!

There are some issues obviously, but I think there should be more room for flexibility an common sense.


Secondly, Charles Allen also wants the EU to scrap it's 20 minute rule! In the EU, 20 minutes must pass between the start of one "internal" break and the start of the next "internal break", though there is limited flexibility. Under OFCOM rules, breaks must be no longer than 3m 30s, plus a 20s trailer, with no more than 12 minutes of ads in one hour.

Apparantly, a 45-min rule applies to films on TV as well, but I can't say I notice that on TV!

Charles Allen wants broadcasters to be able to vary the length and number of commercial breaks.

There is an argument that more shorter breaks would benefit the TV stations more than longer, less frequent breaks.

I've also said that I wouldn't object to an extra ad break in each programme in return for dropping the commercial breaks at programme junctions, so one programme flows into the next.


So what do you think on both these issues?


MediaGuardian: http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,1576020,00.html

I say tighter controls on the amount of advertising time per hour (down to about 10 minutes) in exchange for a free-for-all on product placement and programme sponsorship.

Us lucky enough to have Sky+ never see commercials anymore anyway, so advertisers may be happy if product placement replaced commercial breaks?

I heard the sponsorship bumpers are becoming more important to advertisers than commercial breaks as people fast forwarding the break use these bumpers as their stop points...

Product Placement doesnt bother me unless its obvious, for example Rita drinking a cup of Typhoo tea with big long closeups on the box lol

I think if it's used carefully, product placement can actually be used to enhance some programmes and make them more realistic.

For instance on Corrie, I'd rather hear customers in the Rovers asking for 'a pint of Fosters' than an unspecific 'pint'... or even the made-up 'Stelberg' which has made a few appearances.

However, my main worry would be that if there weren't specific restrictions, we'd end up with Gail having a three-minute conversation with Sally Webster about how Cillit Bang gets her nets whiter.

Why not go the whole hog, and have a sitcom or drama set in a supermarket

I think product placement would be far less annoying than TV programmes blurring out any branding that may accidently appear on the programme (or in Big Brother's case, sticking white labels all over the shopping!).


One oddity of TV is that any channel can show a live football match with sponsorship all around the ground and on the shirts - but on numerous occassions I've seen people with football shirts on other programmes with the sponsor logos taped over!

I wouldn't be too bothered by limited product placement in TV shows, the comment about the likes of Bond Films being littered with them is very true.

As for advertising breaks, i hope that they are not calling for the US style advertising breaks, with the show opening, then ads almost immediately after the opening credits have finished

Something very interesting I've just seen on C4.

It's a trailer for "Spoons", and as it begins the "Sponsored by Nintendo DS" caption appears.

The trailer itself:
The guys says "Fancy an early night?", to which the girl agrees. The bloke then says goodnight and tells her he'll stay up and put in a few more hours on the Playstation!

If tonight's Coronation Street wasn't a clear example of product placement, I don't know what is!

The fact that when they do that, it actually draws attention to the products!

Commercial channels should get the company to pay a little bit extra if their product is advertised on TV.For example, in Big Brother, the shopping has obviously been bought at Tesco. Now Channel 4 should get Tesco to pay a small amount of money to let these things not get covered up. It jsut attracts more attention and usually, viewers know what the product is anyway . . . .