You may not realize it, but that episode of Modern Family or Big Bang Theory or The Vampire Diaries you just watched may have contained subtly embedded ads for a variety of products. The practice is called "product placement," the intentionally seamless integration of commercial products into the narrative of a film or television program. Carrie Bradshaw's Jimmy Choo shoes, Dr. House's Macbook Pro, and Sue Sylvester's Adidas track suits are all examples of the subtle (or not so subtle) placements we've seen in recent years. In fact, the practice dates back to the beginning of television, when programs were openly sponsored by major companies (e.g. Texaco Star Theater, The Goodyeat Television Playhouse). Today, the practice is more covert, with many shows aiming to integrate products as organically as possible. As a result, you may not even be aware of the presence of these products. How do you feel about this? Should programmers be mandated to inform viewers of product placements or should a viewer be savvy enough to identify those instances on his or her own? Finally, are you more bothered by the most blatant or the most subtle of product placements?
Include at least two of the following in your discussion:
- "Here Are Some Of TV's Most Successful Product Placements" (Business Insider)
- "How Advertisers Burrowed Their Way Into Netflix" (Variety)
- "Ten Incredibly Shameless Product Placements in Well-Loved TV Shows" (WhatCulture)
- "The Modern Family Families Ride the Corporate Synergy Express Straight to Disneyland" (AV Club)
- "Product Placement Lessons from The Walking Dead" (Marketplace)
- "As TV Cuts Commercials, Product Placement is Worming its Way into Your Shows" (DigitalTrends)
Required:
- MLA Style
- 1.5 pages in length
- Works cited page
Due: Fr 9.30
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