:: adgruntie :: Place this

+ Product placement brought to you by the middleman. An interesting article from the NY Times on the growing business that is product placement.

The new emphasis on product placement in television has brought new players into the business - brand wranglers who work with programmers and advertisers. They are pushing the placement, which they like to call "brand integration," into new territory, sometimes acting as co-producers and even building new programming around the brands.

"There's been a gold rush that reminds me of the Internet 10 years ago," said Scott Donaton, editor of Advertising Age and the author of "Madison & Vine," a book about the convergence of the entertainment and advertising industries. "Many went to the advertisers and said, 'You can't handle Hollywood. Let me do it for you.' Then they went to the networks and promised to handle the advertisers."

Some of the new integrators are traditional product placement firms, while others are advertising agencies that have started entertainment divisions. New companies devoted to product integration have also popped up. All see the chance to profit from the growing closeness between programmers and advertisers, who have been forced to band together to counter falling ratings, a fragmented audience and new technology like digital video recorders that allow viewers to skip traditional commercials altogether.

Personally, I don't mind some product placement. Although there are some shows which don't beat around the bush when it comes to product placement. The product ends up in front of the camera so much, it's way too obvious. There are some where it's like they are hitting you over the head with product X. I think being in the business I sometimes notice the placements more than other people. Sometimes it reminds me of that scene from Wayne's World. And apparently, the music industry is getting in on the action too.