Product placement has become increasingly prevalent in television, with shows like Netflix's House of Cards facing criticism for excessive brand integration. In one scene, Kevin Spacey's character Frank Underwood picks up a Sony PS Vita and remarks, 'Is that a PS Vita? … I ought to get one of these for the car.' Another scene features nine iPhones and iPads laid out on a desk. Such blatant advertising has led to viewer backlash, with many feeling their suspension of disbelief is shattered.
The rise of digital recording and streaming has made traditional ad breaks less effective, as 90% of households with PVRs skip commercials. This has driven advertisers to seek new ways to reach audiences, spending $8.25bn on product placement in 2012, a figure expected to nearly double within five years. Shows like American Idol had 577 placements in 2011, while even critically acclaimed series like Breaking Bad and 30 Rock indulge in the practice.
Companies like Mirriad are now pushing 'digital insertion,' a technique that adds virtual products and logos into content after filming. For example, in Channel 4's Deal Or No Deal, PG Tips logos were digitally added to contestants' mugs. This allows for localised advertising, such as altering a Bentley to a Mitsubishi in Brazil for the series Hannibal. Mirriad's CEO Mark Popkiewicz notes, 'There's a growing realisation that we're being trained to be blind to advertising.'
As product placement becomes more sophisticated, audiences are increasingly alienated by the intrusion of marketing into their favourite shows. The challenge for broadcasters is to balance revenue needs with viewer experience, but for now, the trend shows no signs of slowing down.
