Product Placement
Posted: Sun 13 September, 2009 Filed under: Advertising, News, Thoughts 1 Comment »When it comes to product placement and the fact it’s now going to be allowed in programmes on commercial channels in the UK , I have to say that I’m actually more surprised it’s taken this long for it to happen.
I’ve been expecting it to come in since ITV started announcing that they were losing advertiser revenue – and the ‘credit crunch’ must have been another perfect excuse as well.
I don’t actually have much of an issue with product placement – we see a fair amount of it anyway, with the amount of imported American programmes already viewed. (And that’s been a neat little loophole on the entire product placement thing ’til now anyway) Think about the American drama programmes where just about everyone seems to have an iPhone and/or use Apple laptops – let alone the bigger things like clothing labels, car brands, (the truly awful ‘update’ of Knight Rider excelled at this one, for obvious reasons – but that also goes to show it’s been happening for a *very* long time) gadgets etc., and even down to what the actors eat and drink.
I think I’ll have more of an issue with the next logical step along this line, where programmes are ‘sponsored’ (i.e. paid for) by a company, which then plugs as many of its wares in one show as it can do. That ‘development’ will take some time of course – but I’m sure it’ll be on the cards.
10:10 – Realistic Chance?
Posted: Fri 4 September, 2009 Filed under: 1BEM, Advertising, Domestic, Green, Thoughts 9 Comments »My initial thoughts on the Guardian’s 10:10 Campaign were pretty non-committal, but yesterday I read Charlie Stross’s full-size and well thought-out piece, so I thought I’d do something similar to his post, but based on my own life and/or carbon footprint, which might help fill out my own thoughts and ideas on it.
So, using The Guardian’s own “How to reduce your carbon emissions” list, here we go… (Click on the more link below)
Sweary Of The Day
Posted: Fri 4 September, 2009 Filed under: Advertising, Driving, Sweary Leave a comment »I know, it’s pimping an ad almost certainly meant to be a viral anyway – but still, this ad from Volkswagen made me laugh…
Clouds and Silver Linings
Posted: Mon 31 August, 2009 Filed under: 1BEM, Advertising, Business, Cynicism, Thoughts Leave a comment »I don’t know if it’s just me, but the recession of the last year does seem to have had one (slightly) positive effect this weekend – the number of TV adverts for “Bank Holiday Weekend Sales” appear to have dropped through the floor.
After all, there’s now no :
- MFI
- Sofa Warehouse
- Allied Carpets
- [several others I can’t currently recall]
who always used to do that kind of sale.
Of course, there’s still bloody DFS, (Although they just seem to have one big year-long sale) and B&Q and Homebase are both doing “15% off everything” weekends, but still it seems like there’s nowhere near as many Bank Holiday Sales this year.
Mind you, it could also be because I’ve hardly seen any TV over the last week or so…
Bank Holiday Holiday
Posted: Sun 23 August, 2009 Filed under: Advertising, Cynicism 1 Comment »In the run-up to next Monday’s Bank Holiday, I’ve now had four emails from companies, all along the lines of “There’s still time to book a Bank Holiday weekend break“.
The text of the advert - yes, they saved it as an image...
While I understand that they’d rather be fully booked than (to pick a number out of the air) 75% full, promotional emails like these still make me think the companies are desperate for business.
Would you book a last-minute break on the basis of an email like this?
Gold Scam
Posted: Wed 19 August, 2009 Filed under: 1BEM, Advertising, Cynicism, Thoughts 3 Comments »Sometimes, adverts on daytime TV are worthy of comment and/or incredulity. Today’s example covered both in one thirty-second slot.
It was an advert for some kind of “Money for your gold” organisation – yes, they had a web address on-screen, but I’m not going to promote the scam any more than I have to.
Anyway, the basic premise was as follows :
- Contact us, we’ll send you a “Free” postal packet insured for up to £2,500
- Send us your gold
- We’ll send you a valuation on it
- If you accept it, we’ll send you the cash.
- If you don’t, we’ll send you back your gold. (Honest, guv)
Now that just screams “Scam” to me – there’s so many healthy options for “lost in the post” excuses, plus (even if it’s legit) a nice little side-earner if one were to (for example) pawn the gold,have cash for it – always more than the “valuation” – and it’s in your account ’til you have to pay it to either the customer or back to the pawn-shop.
I’m tempted to see if the company directors are Derek and Rodney Trotter…
Inglourious
Posted: Mon 17 August, 2009 Filed under: Advertising, Stupidity Leave a comment »Personally, I’m really not bothered about seeing the new Tarantino film, “Inglourious Basterds“. (Don’t blame me for that spelling – it drives me crackers too) I’m not even convinced I’ll bother when it comes out on DVD.
What is very funny at the moment though is that various places seem to be having utter conniptions about advertising it because of the “naughty word”.
I’ve seen a few adverts on pre-watershed TV (i.e. before 9pm) that are just calling it “Inglourious”, with the “Basterds” covered in bullet-holes. (I’m not quite sure how bullet-holes etc. are acceptable pre-watershed, but the word Bastard isn’t)
On radio, they’ve been reduced to simply referring to it as “the new Tarantino film”.
The marketing department for the film itself must be having fits about the fact that half the time, advertising and media can’t even say the name of the film. It’s a really silly state of affairs.