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Fact is though, many of us in the UK would argue that we've had some
form of product
placement on our screens here for years. Companies like 1st Place Props
routinely act as broker between commercial operations
that want their products on the box and some of the UK's biggest production
companies.
While
it's illegal for any UK television production to accept money for on
screen placements, and BBC guidelines actually require productions to
have permission for any product featured, that doesn't stop savvy
companies from regularly "helping" TV productions to source appropriate
props for our most popular shows. Cisco, PepsiCo, Volkswagen,
IKEA, Olympus Playstation and Walkers are just a small selection of the
companies regularly doing this.
Typically, "prop" providers
in the UK make it their business to scrutinise new scripts in search of placement
opportunities. While businesses using these prop placement
services can never be guaranteed opportunities on UK television,
companies like Volkswagen, Kellogg's and Cadbury routinely benefit
from the free exposure. Spooks, The Bill, Coronation Street,
Auf Weidersehn Pet and My Family are just some of the big UK shows that
have worked with UK prop specialists to make scenes more "real".
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Does anyone care? |
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Recently, New Media Strategies surveyed online TV viewers
and found that 83% were receptive to product placements in their TV
programmes, while only 17%
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had
a negative
reaction to the growing advertising
trend. "Viewers don't mind product placement, so long as it doesn't step on
or interfere with the flow of their favourite programming," stated Snyder, CEO of NMS. NMS surveyed 338 TV viewers in the most popular film,
entertainment, women's, family, and mainstream online communities.
When asked about their thoughts on product
placement, 83% said, "It doesn't bother me," or that they had "No Opinion"
on the advertising tactic. Only 17% of fans surveyed reported they found
product placements "annoying" or "offensive."
So why shouldn't UK
television production businesses be getting their cut from something that
going on anyway, or will genuine paid for placements ultimately
compromise the quality of Brit produced shows? (Jump to the bottom of
this page to comment.
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Product placement
on the fly |
Informal "product placement"
opportunities brokered between producers of ITV shows and Volkswagen have been
helping get TV cops like Taggart and Inspector Barnaby to crime scenes safely
for years.
From left to right (Hover
over pictures to enlarge): Midsomer Murders, Taggart, Wire in the blood
From left to right (Hover
over pictures to enlarge): Demons get their fangs into Tropicana, Quaker
Oats' Granola provides the high energy start to the day for Emmerdale
residents, and where would the spooks from MI5 be without some high tech
Cisco gadgetry?
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More: |
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If you read one article about product placement in the UK read:
David
Elstein's
Don’t be afraid of actors eating Kellogg's, The Times
Get a head start:
Don't get lost in the rush
when the new legislation comes through. British TV and film productions
are looking for hundreds of products now. Gizmos, gadgets and autos are
top of the wish list. Try contacting Liza Read at
1st place props for all the basics.
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