Elijah Ngule

I believe that product placement is as popular in new media as it has been in traditional television and film content. However, I believe that it was done in a different fashion. For example, in the 1950's I Love Lucy was a very popular sitcom and is still in syndication today. During some of there episodes Lucille Ball "Lucy" is smoking Philip Morris cigarettes. This was an intentional product placement, and they even had commercials with her in it promoting the brand. Today product placement in television seems to be a bit different. For example, in Orange is the New Black on Netflix they have the cast eating Cheeto's in several scenes. The show has its characters in prison, and the Cheeto's are presented as a bargaining tool. You watch the cast eat and enjoy them not even knowing that you are being advertised to. The way product placement is presented in television todays is less obvious in my opinion. Another example is when someone shows up in a vehicle and the camera zooms right into the car logo. Most of the time we are being advertised and don't even know it. I think that he hope is that the advertisers want us to feel like we want the product spontaneously and or it was our idea. Instead we where advertised to and maybe an hour later you might unconsciously want that snack. I think that over time audiences have become anesthetized to advertising. Most of the time I don't even notice that I am being advertised to. The other day my wife and I where watching Riverdale and I didn't see the product placement. The zoomed into some makeup and clearly wanted you to see the brand CoverGirl. Also, I believe that we are desensitized because commercials and advertisement have become apart of our daily lives. I feel that through the day we are advertised constantly. For example, our Television and car radio has commercials. Then the billboards on the way to work have advertisements. Because of this, I believe that we have become used to being advertised, and it doesn't phase us when its product placement on television. Thank you for taking the time to read my discussion post this week. Have a great week! References AlissaFleck. (2018, August 09). 6 Product Placements on TV So Good You Didn't Realize You Were Being Sold Something. Retrieved from https://www.adweek.com/tv-video/6-product-placements-on-tv-so-good-you-didnt-realize-you-were-being-sold-something/ Grant, M. (2018, February 25). 'I Love Lucy: Ultimate Season One' Is Really Smokin'. Retrieved from https://www.popmatters.com/181564-i-love-lucy-ultimate-season-one-.html