REFLECTION 3: As Seen on TV—Understanding Product Placements in Television

You may not realize it, but that episode of Stranger Things or America's Got Talent you just watched may have contained embedded ads for a variety of products. The practice is called "product placement," the integration of commercial products into the narrative of a film or television program. The practice dates back to the beginning of television, when programs were openly sponsored by major companies (e.g. Texaco Star Theater, The Goodyear Television Playhouse). Recent examples include Carrie Bradshaw's beloved Jimmy Choo shoe collection on Sex and the City, Sue Sylvester's signature Adidas track suits on Glee, and the Dunphy's Apple brand loyalty on Modern Family. Today, the practice is often 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:

• "Product Placement Lessons from The Walking Dead" (Marketplace)
• "More Product Placements May Come to Netflix (But Don’t Call Them Ads) (FastCompany
• "As TV Cuts Commercials, Product Placement is Worming its Way into Your Shows" (DigitalTrends)
• "The Real Stars of Stranger Things? All Those Brand Names" (CBS News) 
• "Six Product Placements on TV So Good You Didn’t Realize You Were Being Sold Something (AdWeek) 

Mechanics:

• 1-1.5 pages in length
• MLA Style
• Works cited

Due: Thu 9.26