Product placement. When it works it works.

First off, I will start this post by saying I’m not ashamed to admit that I am a huge American Idol fan. I watch it religiously every week and have since the very first season. And since I have been watching since season 1, I have seen many things – like Kelly Clarkson actually succeeding in her career and endless amounts of awesomely horrible auditions. But I’ve also seen something else. The increase in product placement over the years. It started out (and continues) with Coke. Who can miss their “red room” with “Wave” décor and the cups that the judges drink out of every week? Complete with pink straw for Paula! Then of course there is the mention of AT&T (formerly Cingular) with the phone number of each contestant. And don’t forget the goofy Ford video/commercials that the top 12 contestants make every week. This season, American Idol introduces another advertising juggernaut into the AI world – iTunes. Now AI fans can log onto iTunes and purchase their favorite singers weekly performances. And of course this comes with multiple mentions of iTunes each show. Now I could say that I think it’s really annoying that one of my favorite shows has been overrun with product placement, but I can’t. Instead I have to say I think it’s quite genius. TV programs have had product tie-in’s and endorsements since the beginning. Many times instead of your standard commercials, the stars of the show would talk about the show’s sponsor (Clorox, cigarettes, whatever) during a break in the show. The term “soap opera” actually predates TV as a phrase coined in the 30’s in reference to the dramatic serials that were sponsored by soap companies like Proctor and Gamble. Then, over the years products began to pop up within the shows like they were being sly. AI goes back to the old days of blatantly stating who sponsors the show with its head held high. “The Office” has also incorporated brands into their show brilliantly (Staples, Chili’s, Sandals), but I’m willing to say they are an exception thanks to their great writing. So while more and more people skip commercials thanks to TiVo, if shows can pull this type of advertising off well, I say go for it! It just means advertising isn’t dead after all.

About the Author: Holly Ringerud

As Senior Copywriter at Off Madison Ave, Holly uses her mastery of the written word to concept ideas and craft copy for a variety of clients. Print ads, brochures, TV, radio, direct mail, banner ads, websites, you name it, she's written it. Holly received a Copywriting Certificate from Brainco - The Minneapolis School of Advertising.

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