With consumers finding ever increasing ways to avoid advertisements, in-program product placement is becoming more prevalent. Labatt USA takes over the bar on Fox Sports Net and Labatt will also have cameo appearances by the Labatt bear mascot. Home Depot follows next month with a set designed to look like a backyard deck.
The ad game is definitely changing. In fact, it”s a return to the soap opera days when in-show product placements were common. Is this a good thing? If done properly, yes. After all, people use real brand name products in real life situations. The trick will be how well advertisers integrate their placements so the desired commercial message is achieved yet without having it appear staged.
New York Times: Blurring Ads and TV Programs
