Product Placement

   

    Television shows are moving more towards product placement because of lost advertising time caused by PVRs and online streaming. Reality tv shows, especially game shows, have always used product placement, and in a way it makes sense, since they're giving out prizes anyway. Recently, sitcoms and dramas have started to use product placement as well.

  




    The medical drama House is an example of one such show. The target audience for the products mentioned would probably be upper middle class people, the same demographic as the characters on the show. This is reflected in the products shown: cars, computers and cell phones. 

    Like many of the FOX shows, House included a Ford in one of they're recent episodes, with a character casually mentioning some of the car's features. The car is clearly shown from many angles exactly as it would be in a regular car commercial. This product placement is far from subtle, seemed very out of place, and added nothing to the plot. The viewer has to put up with it though it they want to watch the show.

 Ford Explorer on House

      Apple products have also been featured on House, and the message the advertisers are communicating is that these products are being used by doctors and for hospital business, therefore they must be reliable. Again, the product is clearly displayed with the Hugh Laurie holding up the iPhone or having the very recognizable Apple logo somewhere in the shot.

             

An interesting example of product placement on House was from an earlier season which had the charcters sitting around a Dell computer with House remarking, "Why don't I have high-def in my office? Tissue charcterization is impossible when the pixels are the size of Legos." The is definitely not good advertising for Dell. Possibly one of the writers was annoyed about being told to write a product into their show?