The practice of product placement whereby an advertiser secures a position within the content of a television show or movie has come under fire from Commercial Alert, a Portland, Oregon based consumer watchdog group founded by Ralph Nadar and Gary Ruskin. The group has filed a complaint with the FCC claiming marketers and networks that engage in product placement strategies are deceiving the public and has asked that guidelines be established.
The resurgence of product placement, popular in the 50’s, is in reaction to the rising costs of commercial television time and declining viewership.
