Product Placement

When it comes to product placement and the fact it’s now going to be allowed in programmes on commercial channels in the UK , I have to say that I’m actually more surprised it’s taken this long for it to happen.

I’ve been expecting it to come in since ITV started announcing that they were losing advertiser revenue – and the ‘credit crunch’ must have been another perfect excuse as well.

I don’t actually have much of an issue with product placement – we see a fair amount of it anyway, with the amount of imported American programmes already viewed. (And that’s been a neat little loophole on the entire product placement thing ’til now anyway)  Think about the American drama programmes where just about everyone seems to have an iPhone and/or use Apple laptops – let alone the bigger things like clothing labels, car brands, (the truly awful ‘update’ of Knight Rider excelled at this one, for obvious reasons – but that also goes to show it’s been happening for a *very* long time) gadgets etc., and even down to what the actors eat and drink.

I think I’ll have more of an issue with the next logical step along this line, where programmes are ‘sponsored’ (i.e. paid for) by a company, which then plugs as many of its wares in one show as it can do.  That ‘development’ will take some time of course – but I’m sure it’ll be on the cards.