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And the winner is: product placement |
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The Telegraph
By Dominic Mills (Filed: 22/03/2005)
Most cinema-goers understand the game called product placement, in which Hollywood studios take a few million dollars off advertisers in return for having the hero or heroine use product x or drive car y. That's why James Bond drove a BMW for a few years, before Aston-Martin paid even more.
American television has followed suit, notably in reality programmes like American Idol, where judges drink Coke and contestants are ferried in Fords. In the UK, so far, the practice has been banned.
Not any more, with Stephen Carter, Ofcom chief executive and a former adman, signalling last week that the rules would be relaxed - but only for entertainment programmes. The danger is that broadcasters and advertisers will abuse their new-found freedom. But this is unlikely. Programme makers protect their independence fiercely.
If it is to have any effect at all, product placement has to be editorially credible and blend seamlessly into the script. |
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