When a company pays for its product to be featured in a movie or a television show to increase brand awareness, it’s called product placement.
Click here to see which shows made the list >
This form of advertising has been around almost as long as movies and television shows themselves, and has long been a secondary source of income for networks and content producers.
When factoring in commercial-skipping technology such as DVR and on-demand programming, product placement becomes even more attractive for advertisers.
However, this type of brand marketing is a double-edged sword. While companies can weave their products into shows, they are in danger of alienating consumers with overzealous product-placement campaigns. The effectiveness of product placement is also a key question, and strategies can range from featuring a brand briefly on screen to having it play a key role in the plot.
In the past year, reality TV shows have been the leaders for integrating brands through product placement, with products tied into the themes and storylines of the show. While scripted television has received fewer instances, a recent report released by Nielsen shows that these spots are more memorable for the audience.
Nielsen has compiled the top programs with product placement, and the following is a list, ranked by number of product placement occurrences in 2011, including sponsors and memorable instances of brand integration.
So, which prime time shows had the most product placement in the past year? Click ahead to find out!
Click here to see which shows made the list >
This post originally appeared at CNBC
10. “The Amazing Race”
- Product placement occurrences: 161
- Episodes in 2011: 11
- Network: CBS
“The Amazing Race” pits 11 two-member teams in a race around the world, each competing for a $1 million prize. The contest’s format allows for seamless integration of product placement in all facets of the show, from what car they drive to the challenges the contestants face.
There's no product placement in this clip, unless you count the watermelons.
Travelocity, the primary sponsor, is featured throughout the program. In one of the more standout scenes of product placement, it had the contestants create the company's signature “Roaming Gnome” out of chocolate.
Another challenge had contestants find a mango-papaya tea in a taste test out of hundreds of other teas, in an event sponsored by Snapple. Ford Motor even issued a press release that listed its products to be featured on the show’s 19th season. With many opportunities for product placement, it’s no wonder that “The Amazing Race” features a wide variety of brands...for a price.
Source: CNBC.
9. “America’s Next Top Model”
- Product placement occurrences: 178
- Episodes in 2011: 26
- Network: CW
Hosted by former model Tyra Banks, the CW’s fashion reality show follows model hopefuls as they compete to become “America’s Next Top Model.” The format incorporates product placement into many of the challenges, including scenes where contestants prep for challenges, use specific beauty products, or directly pose for a brand-oriented photo shoots or commercials.
The show is officially sponsored by CoverGirl, which supplies the winner with a $100,000 modeling contract. As a result, many challenges revolve around using and applying CoverGirl makeup. This includes challenges where contestants are rated on everything from the best use of CoverGirl products to the best public relations pitch for the products. In several of the show’s 17 seasons, there is an episode where the contestants are asked to write, produce, and perform in a commercial for CoverGirl.
Source: CNBC.
8. “Friday Night Lights”
- Product placement occurrences: 201
- Episodes in 2011: 13
- Network: NBC
In the only show on the list that doesn’t fall under the “reality” genre, “Friday Night Lights” took advantage of lucrative corporate tie-ins in 2011. The show, set in the fictional football town of Dillon, Texas, has been a critical darling since it has first aired. However, lagging ratings threatened the show with cancellation after its second season.
In an effort to save the show, DirecTV brokered a deal with NBC to subsidize production costs so that its customers could see new episodes before they ran on NBC. The show was an ideal spot to feature merchandise or brands such as Costco, Sam Adams, Under Armor, Gatorade, and Ford because of its main theme of small-town community and love of football.
After the last season, many fans might more readily recognize Applebee’s, since one of the characters Tyra, played by Adrianne Palicki, worked at the restaurant, garnering it numerous mentions on the show.
Source: CNBC.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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