A television show I became pretty fond of just ended its series with its final episode recently. Life in Pieces on CBS is a show about a family. It tells four comedic short stories, all having to do with the Short family. Like many television shows and movies, product placement has become a norm, you see it with a simple Coke can placed (label facing camera) ever so lightly on a counter top or with a quick shot of the back of a vehicle, logo clearly center screen. However this recent episode of Life in Pieces titled “Cabana Hero Action Son”, uses the product to dictate the script.
The episode begins by discussing a trip that the family is hoping to book, enter a clear view of one of the characters booking a trip on Hotels.com. The dialogue proceeds to banter on how easy it is to book, any of the family members could do it. Fast forward to the next scene, the family on vacation, another member finds out that the only reason Hotels.com was used in the first place was so that they could get a tenth night free. This creates a quarrel between the two brothers and so continues the story. I found the use of product in this particular episode off putting. It felt derived and unnatural, even in context, where the story led to a family vacation.
Another reason this specific episode was uncomfortable to watch was that it was definitely unlike any of the previous episodes. Distasteful product placement can ruin good television and film, and in addition removes the audience from the entertainment aspect and into an advertisement. It’s so obvious that it makes you feel as if you’re being tricked into watching something.
Product placement is definitely not going away, and the more marketing integrates media platforms the more I believe we will see it happening. In fact product placement is often used to aid in meeting budgets of large productions like the $160 million in product placement that help fund the reboot of the Justice League franchise. Brands will often align themselves with film and television in order to get in front of their target audiences, or create a brand perception, as was the case with the Ford Mondeo in Casino Royale. Product placement has become a source of income to help produce some very entertaining film and television. It definitely has its benefits, especially when large production companies are working to produce large blockbuster films.
However, it is important that these partnerships not dilute the work that is being created. As we know, whether in television, social media or film, those “Coca-Cola cans” are going to keep making their way onto the screen. As product placement evolves, my hope is, that directors and writers fight to keep integrity when it comes to the craft of story telling and don’t let the products steal the spotlight.
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